River Depth: Over 50 feet (just west of Bruin Lake), but less than 60 feet
Fire History:
River Length: The section in the BWCA is just over 8 miles long. It is about 6 more miles to the mouth of the river at Birch Lake. The river extending north from Birch Lake to White Iron Lake is usually called the Birch River, not the South Kawishiwi River so that section is not included in length measurements.
Campsites: 20
Wildlife Seen on Visit: None
Last Visited: August 5, 2016
River Elevation: At its upstream terminus at the Kawishiwi River, the elevation is about 1440 feet. Where the river exits the BWCA, the elevation is about 1400 feet.
Water Clarity: N/A
ROUTES/PORTAGES FROM THE SOUTH KAWISHIWI RIVER:
To Astray Lake: Bushwhack of about 60 rods
To Bruin Lake: Walk the 15 rod portage
To BWCA Entry Point 32: Walk the 147 rod portage
To Clear Lake: Walk the 70 rod portage
To Eskwagama Lake: Walk the 85 rod portage
To Kawishiwi River: Walk the 15 rod portage
To Little Gabbro Lake: Walk the 122 rod portage
South Kawishiwi River
Kawishiwi Ranger District
SOUTH KAWISHIWI RIVER CAMPSITES:
None visited yet.
The "river full of beavers' houses" as it is known in Objibwe splits into two main channels, just about a mile due south of Triangle Lake and about 3/4 mile downstream of the portage to the BWCA Entry Point 29 parking lot.
This web page will cover the stretch of the Kawishiwi River, known as the South Kawishiwi River. Just under a mile downstream of the Triangle Lake-Kawishiwi River portage, the Kawishiwi River splits into two separate branches. The north branch is called the North Kawishiwi River and the south branch is the South Kawishiwi River. From the split to where the South Kawishiwi River leaves the BWCA just downstream of the portage to the BWCA Entry Point 32 parking lot, is about 8 miles.
References:
Beymer, Robert, Boundary Waters Canoe Area – Volume 1 – Western Region (Berkeley: Wilderness Press, 2006), 183, 185, 190, 191, 208, 211, 213, 217, 219, 226, 233, 241, 247.
Heinselman, Miron, The Boundary Waters Wilderness Ecosystem (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1999), 13, 280.
Pauly, Daniel, Exploring the Boundary Waters (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2005), 184, 185, 199, 200.
Traveling the South Kawishiwi River
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The South Kawishiwi River from the BWCA Entry Point 32 portage. From here would would typically head to your right. Heading left (downstream) soon takes you to the head of some rapids and also out of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
View from the 122 rod portage that leads to Little Gabbro Lake. Heading straight ahead leads toward the northeast up the South Kawishiwi River. This portage landing is in a backwater bay along the river.
View of the South Kawishiwi River from the portage landing.
Route Connections for South Kawishiwi River
From the South Kawishiwi River, you can portage into Bruin Lake, Clear Lake, Eskwagama Lake, Little Gabbro Lake and even into the Kawishiwi River. You can also bushwhack out to Astray Lake. Finally, you can leave the BWCA by portaging to BWCA Entry Point 32.
