Piwei River

52°32′11″N 103°09′29″W / 52.5365°N 103.1580°W / 52.5365; -103.1580 • elevation511 m (1,677 ft) MouthEtomami River52°26′01″N 102°40′49″W / 52.4336°N 102.6802°W / 52.4336; -102.6802477 m (1,565 ft)Basin featuresRiver systemRed Deer RiverTributaries  • rightBig Valley Creek, Ravina Creek, Cameron Creek, Gara Creek

Piwei River^[1] is a river in the east-central part of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in the boreal forest^[2] ecozone of Canada. It begins at the western end of the Porcupine Hills at Piwei Lakes and heads in an easterly direction through a glacier-formed valley and into the Etomami River, which is a tributary of the Red Deer River.^[3]

The river is accessed from Highways 984 and 983. Save for a small recreation park on the river's north bank, there are no communities nor settlements along its course. Big Valley Lake Ecological Reserve,^[4] one of Saskatchewan's Representative Area Ecological Reserves, is in Piwei River's watershed upstream along Big Valley Creek's course on the shore of Big Valley Lake.^[5][6]

Piwei River begins south of the town of Porcupine Plain at an elevation of 511 m (1,677 ft) in a chain of several lakes called the Piwei Lakes^[7] at the western end of the Porcupine Hills. From the lakes, it heads east through the Porcupine Provincial Forest and glacier-formed valleys en route to its terminus at the Etomami River. The valley that the river follows continues east past Etomami River and is a natural portage to the Pepaw River, which follows that same valley farther east.^[8]

Tributaries

• Mud Creek (into Piwei Lakes)
• Big Valley Creek
  • Wells Creek
    • Lawson Creek
• Ravina Creek
• Cameron Creek
• Gara Creek

Piwei River Recreation Site (52°29′03″N 102°59′18″W / 52.4843°N 102.9883°W / 52.4843; -102.9883)^[9] is a recreation site located on the north bank of Piwei River, just downstream from the Piwei Lakes. It is about 8 ha (20 acres) in size and 509 metres (1,670 ft) above sea level. The park facilities include an access to snowmobile trails, a warm up shelter, and access to the river. Accessed to the park is from Highway 984.^[10][11]

• List of rivers of Saskatchewan
• Tourism in Saskatchewan
• Hudson Bay drainage basin