Gauley River

TheGauley Riveris a 105-mile-long (169 km)river inWest Virginia.It merges with theNew Riverto form theKanawha River,atributaryof theOhio River.The river features numerous recreationalwhitewaterareas, including those inGauley River National Recreation Areadownstream of the Summersville Dam.

Gauley River
Sweet's Falls on the Gauley River
Location
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
Counties	Randolph,Webster,Nicholas,Fayette
Physical characteristics
Source	North Fork Gauley River
• location	Gauley Mountain,Pocahontas County,WV
• coordinates	38°25′42″N80°10′22″W
• elevation	4,000 ft (1,200 m)
2nd source	South Fork Gauley River
• location	Pocahontas County,WV
• coordinates	38°22′43″N80°12′52″W
• elevation	3,937 ft (1,200 m)
3rd source	Middle Fork Gauley River
• location	Pocahontas County,WV
• coordinates	38°23′21″N80°11′29″W
• elevation	3,844 ft (1,172 m)
Source confluence	Three Forks of Gauley
• location	Webster County,WV
• coordinates	38°24′33″N80°14′17″W
• elevation	2,917 ft (889 m)
Mouth	Kanawha River
• location	Gauley Bridge,WV
• coordinates	38°09′42″N81°11′47″W
• elevation	660 ft (200 m)
Discharge
• location	Belva, WV
• average	2,680 cu ft/s (76 m3/s)
• minimum	341 cu ft/s (9.7 m3/s)(1976)
• maximum	12,900 cu ft/s (370 m3/s)(1987)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Miller Mill Run,Williams River,Cranberry River,Meadow River

Headwaters and course

The Gauley rises in theMonongahela National Foreston Gauley Mountain inPocahontas Countyas three streams, the North, Middle, and South Forks, each of which flows across the southern extremity ofRandolph County;they converge inWebster County.The river then flows generally west-southwestwardly through Webster,NicholasandFayettecounties, past the towns ofCamden-on-GauleyandSummersville,to the town ofGauley Bridge,where it joins theNew Riverto form theKanawha River.Via the Kanawha andOhiorivers, it is part of theMississippi Riverwatershed.

Tributaries

The Gauley's largest tributaries all flow into the main river from the east (flowing in a westerly direction) and are described as follows:

• TheWilliams Riverdrains a segment of the Monongahela National Forest, joining the Gauley in Webster County.
• TheCranberry Riverflows through the Monongahela National Forest and empties into the Gauley in Nicholas County.
• TheCherry River,which initially flows through the town ofRichwood,joins the Gauley nearCraigsville.
• TheMeadow River,which initially flows through the town ofRainelle,joins the Gauley at the Fayette-Nicholas County border.

Dams

In Nicholas County, the Gauley is impounded by the Summersville Dam, aU.S. Army Corps of Engineersdam,to formSummersville Lake.The Gauley River National Recreation Area is downstream of the dam.

Whitewater paddling

The Gauley is run year-round by recreationalwhitewaterrafters and from spring to fall by commercial rafting companies. During the majority of the year, boating is dependent on water level, which fluctuates dramatically depending on rainfall and the level of Summersville Lake. However, starting the Friday after Labor Day, the Army Corps of Engineers provides a series of 22 controlled releasesfor the express purpose of downriver recreation. These releases are collectively known as "Gauley Season" and are scheduled on six successive weekends, the first five of which are four-day weekends (Friday through Monday) and the last of which is just Saturday and Sunday. Typical release levels during "Gauley Season" range from 2,400 to 2,800 ft³/s (68 to 79 m³/s).

These releases are the result of an act of theU.S. Congress,the first law passed in the U.S. to specifically mandate recreational whitewater dam releases. The releases bring millions of dollars annually to the local economy, as paddlers travel from all over the United States and overseas for this event.

History

The Gauley area was the site of theBattle of Carnifex Ferryon September 10, 1861, a Union victory in theAmerican Civil War.

Name

Anglersfish forrainbowandbrown trouton the Gauley River.

The Gauley River's name most likely is derived fromGaul(literally "river of theGauls"), a historical region of Europe including most of current day France, from the time when West Virginia was part ofNew Francebefore theFrench and Indian War.Historically, the river has had various Indian names, variant spellings of Gaul/Gauley as well as Falling/Falls Creek.

See also

• List of West Virginia rivers

External links

• Gauley River National Recreation Area
• US Army Corps of Engineers: Southern WV
• Weather And Water Levels