Wapiti River facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wapiti River
Wapiti River in western Canada
Country	Canada
Physical characteristics
Main source	Tuck Lake, Wapiti Pass 1,370 m (4,490 ft) 54°26′26″N 120°47′25″W / 54.44069°N 120.79021°W / 54.44069; -120.79021 (Wapiti River origin)
River mouth	Smoky River 485 m (1,591 ft) 55°08′16″N 118°18′05″W / 55.13784°N 118.30152°W / 55.13784; -118.30152 (Wapiti River mouth)

The Wapiti River is a river in eastern British Columbia and western Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Smoky River, located in the southern area of the Peace River Basin.

Wapiti is named after the Cree word for elk (waapiti).

Course

Wapiti River crossed by Highway 40 south of Grande Prairie

Wapiti River originates as the outflow of Tuck Lake, east of Wapiti Pass, in Wapiti Lake Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, in the Canadian Rockies. It then runs in a north-eastern direction, crosses into Alberta, where it becomes more meandered as it continues through the County of Grande Prairie No. 1. It merges into the Smoky River 30 kilometres (19 mi) east of Grande Prairie.

From west to east, Wapiti River flows through the alpine environment of the Rocky Mountains, the rolling foothills, then farmlands and aspen parkland in western Alberta. Wapiti Lake Provincial Park, Bear River Park, O'Brien Provincial Park and Pipestone Creek Park are protected areas along the river.

Close to its mouth, Wapiti has an average discharge of 100 cubic metres per second (3,500 cu ft/s).

Tributaries and crossings