The Peace River
Peace River, a major river in the Mackenzie drainage system of western Canada. Including its principal headstream, the 250-mile (402-km) Finlay River, the Peace is 1,195 miles (1,923 km) long and drains an area of about 697,000 square miles (1,805,-200 km2). The Peace proper begins at Williston Lake, a large reservoir created by Bennett Dam in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia. From here it flows generally northeastward across the plains of Alberta to the Slave River, just north of Lake Athabasca. Tributaries include the Smoky, Little Smoky, and Wabasca. The Peace Valley produces wheat, petroleum, and natural gas. The hydroelectric plant at Bennett Dam is one of the largest installations of its kind in the world.