798:
766:
provides a series of 22 controlled releases for 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).
29:
765:
rafters 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
773:, 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.
1242:
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1024:
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692:
The Gauley's largest tributaries all flow into the main river from the east (flowing in a westerly direction) and are described as follows:
1438:
994:
969:
451:
618:
1443:
987:
1237:
834:. Historically, the river has had various Indian names, variant spellings of Gaul/Gauley as well as Falling/Falls Creek.
666:
598:
1192:
945:
826:"), a historical region of Europe including most of current day France, from the time when West Virginia was part of
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947:
West
Virginia Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning, Including the Nomenclature of the Streams and Mountains
1060:
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843:
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662:
637:
as three streams, the North, Middle, and South Forks, each of which flows across the southern extremity of
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flows through the
Monongahela National Forest and empties into the Gauley in Nicholas County.
1075:
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700:
drains a segment of the
Monongahela National Forest, joining the Gauley in Webster County.
8:
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863:
U.S. Geological Survey
Geographic Names Information System: Gauley River
1227:
920:"Water Management - Huntington District - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers"
827:
797:
762:
753:. The Gauley River National Recreation Area is downstream of the dam.
742:
In
Nicholas County, the Gauley is impounded by the Summersville Dam, a
674:
645:. The river then flows generally west-southwestwardly through Webster,
614:
610:
1371:
606:
974:
802:
28:
964:
819:
746:
733:, joins the Gauley at the Fayette-Nicholas County border.
818:
The Gauley River's name most likely is derived from
950:. Piedmont, WV: The Place Name Press. p. 263.
1025:Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area
872:
870:
1425:
856:
1009:
769:These releases are the result of an act of the
867:
785:on September 10, 1861, a Union victory in the
995:
761:The Gauley is run year-round by recreational
542:12,900 cu ft/s (370 m/s)(1987)
729:, which initially flows through the town of
714:, which initially flows through the town of
613:. The river features numerous recreational
1002:
988:
881:USGS 03192000 GAULEY RIVER ABOVE BELVA, WV
593:is a 105-mile-long (169 km) river in
532:341 cu ft/s (9.7 m/s)(1976)
1459:Rivers of Nicholas County, West Virginia
1454:Rivers of Randolph County, West Virginia
896:. U.S. Geological Survey. Archived from
796:
624:
1464:Rivers of Webster County, West Virginia
1449:Rivers of Fayette County, West Virginia
970:US Army Corps of Engineers: Southern WV
1426:
756:
983:
965:Gauley River National Recreation Area
943:
619:Gauley River National Recreation Area
522:2,680 cu ft/s (76 m/s)
16:River in West Virginia, United States
781:The Gauley area was the site of the
621:downstream of the Summersville Dam.
13:
886:
14:
1475:
958:
33:Sweet's Falls on the Gauley River
1439:Tributaries of the Kanawha River
27:
877:United States Geological Survey
1071:Roaring Plains West Wilderness
937:
912:
687:
445: • coordinates
364: • coordinates
283: • coordinates
202: • coordinates
121: • coordinates
1:
849:
86:Physical characteristics
1061:Laurel Fork South Wilderness
1056:Laurel Fork North Wilderness
844:List of West Virginia rivers
744:U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
653:counties, past the towns of
484: • elevation
403: • elevation
326:3,844 ft (1,172 m)
322: • elevation
245:3,937 ft (1,200 m)
241: • elevation
164:4,000 ft (1,200 m)
160: • elevation
7:
1444:Monongahela National Forest
1011:Monongahela National Forest
883:; retrieved April 19, 2008.
837:
631:Monongahela National Forest
506: • location
429: • location
348: • location
267: • location
186: • location
104: • location
10:
1480:
1377:Fernow Experimental Forest
1248:South Branch Potomac River
924:US Army Corps of Engineers
776:
677:rivers, it is part of the
617:areas, including those in
538: • maximum
528: • minimum
518: • average
407:2,917 ft (889 m)
1410:
1397:Mill Point Federal Prison
1354:
1333:
1302:
1271:
1180:
1084:
1033:
1018:National Recreation Areas
1017:
822:(literally "river of the
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26:
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975:Weather And Water Levels
783:Battle of Carnifex Ferry
718:, joins the Gauley near
629:The Gauley rises in the
488:660 ft (200 m)
261:Middle Fork Gauley River
1434:Rivers of West Virginia
1387:Highland Scenic Highway
1102:Back Allegheny Mountain
792:
737:
565: • left
180:South Fork Gauley River
98:North Fork Gauley River
1392:Middle Mountain Cabins
1066:Otter Creek Wilderness
944:Kenny, Hamill (1945).
815:
673:. Via the Kanawha and
633:on Gauley Mountain in
1382:Gaudineer Scenic Area
1085:Mountains and summits
1051:Dolly Sods Wilderness
832:French and Indian War
800:
665:, where it joins the
625:Headwaters and course
597:. It merges with the
467:38.16167°N 81.19639°W
386:38.40917°N 80.23806°W
342:Three Forks of Gauley
305:38.38917°N 80.19139°W
224:38.37861°N 80.21444°W
143:38.42833°N 80.17278°W
1076:Spice Run Wilderness
1046:Cranberry Wilderness
1041:Big Draft Wilderness
813:on the Gauley River.
1362:Bear Rocks Preserve
1272:Canyons and valleys
1258:Tygart Valley River
1147:North Fork Mountain
757:Whitewater paddling
641:; they converge in
551:Basin features
472:38.16167; -81.19639
463: /
391:38.40917; -80.23806
382: /
310:38.38917; -80.19139
301: /
229:38.37861; -80.21444
220: /
148:38.42833; -80.17278
139: /
1334:Observation towers
1142:Mount Porte Crayon
1097:Allegheny Mountain
894:"The National Map"
816:
787:American Civil War
1421:
1420:
1414:US Forest Service
1372:Cheat Summit Fort
1294:Smoke Hole Canyon
1279:Blackwater Canyon
1181:Rivers and creeks
1107:Backbone Mountain
751:Summersville Lake
679:Mississippi River
661:, to the town of
635:Pocahontas County
587:
586:
339:Source confluence
272:Pocahontas County
191:Pocahontas County
110:Pocahontas County
108:Gauley Mountain,
1471:
1325:Cranberry Glades
1315:Spruce Knob Lake
1233:Greenbrier River
1198:Blackwater River
1162:Shavers Mountain
1034:Wilderness areas
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655:Camden-on-Gauley
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1208:Cranberry River
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1172:Spruce Mountain
1117:Burner Mountain
1092:Allegheny Front
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705:Cranberry River
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639:Randolph County
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578:Cranberry River
570:Miller Mill Run
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1355:Other features
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1303:Lakes and bogs
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1289:Germany Valley
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1263:Williams River
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1137:Gaudineer Knob
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1132:Cheat Mountain
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959:External links
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698:Williams River
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643:Webster County
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574:Williams River
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1310:Lake Sherwood
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1284:Canaan Valley
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1005:
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963:
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940:
925:
921:
915:
900:on 2012-03-29
899:
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889:
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873:
871:
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833:
829:
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821:
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808:
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799:
790:
788:
784:
774:
772:
771:U.S. Congress
767:
764:
754:
752:
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745:
732:
728:
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721:
717:
713:
709:
706:
702:
699:
695:
694:
693:
685:
683:
680:
676:
672:
671:Kanawha River
668:
664:
663:Gauley Bridge
660:
656:
652:
648:
644:
640:
636:
632:
622:
620:
616:
612:
608:
604:
603:Kanawha River
600:
596:
595:West Virginia
592:
583:
579:
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571:
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562:
558:
554:
549:
545:
541:
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531:
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521:
515:
512:
509:
503:
499:
495:
491:
487:
481:
476:
448:
442:
439:
435:
434:Gauley Bridge
432:
426:
423:
422:Kanawha River
420:
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58:West Virginia
56:
52:
49:
48:United States
46:
42:
37:
30:
25:
20:
1412:
1253:Shavers Fork
1243:Seneca Creek
1223:Gauley River
1222:
1157:Seneca Rocks
1127:Champe Rocks
946:
939:
927:. Retrieved
914:
902:. Retrieved
898:the original
888:
858:
823:
817:
780:
768:
760:
741:
727:Meadow River
712:Cherry River
691:
669:to form the
659:Summersville
628:
601:to form the
591:Gauley River
590:
588:
582:Meadow River
22:Gauley River
1346:Olson Tower
1341:Bickle Knob
1320:Summit Lake
1238:Laurel Fork
1203:Cheat River
1167:Spruce Knob
1152:River Knobs
1122:Bickle Knob
1112:Barton Knob
830:before the
811:brown trout
720:Craigsville
688:Tributaries
556:Tributaries
470: /
389: /
308: /
227: /
146: /
1428:Categories
1228:Glady Fork
1193:Black Fork
850:References
828:New France
763:whitewater
749:, to form
615:whitewater
611:Ohio River
458:81°11′47″W
455:38°09′42″N
377:80°14′17″W
374:38°24′33″N
296:80°11′29″W
293:38°23′21″N
258:3rd source
215:80°12′52″W
212:38°22′43″N
177:2nd source
134:80°10′22″W
131:38°25′42″N
1218:Elk River
805:fish for
682:watershed
667:New River
607:tributary
599:New River
511:Belva, WV
497:Discharge
1213:Dry Fork
838:See also
731:Rainelle
716:Richwood
647:Nicholas
76:Nicholas
68:Randolph
64:Counties
39:Location
1188:Big Run
904:Feb 17,
807:rainbow
803:Anglers
777:History
651:Fayette
609:of the
80:Fayette
72:Webster
44:Country
929:24 Jan
559:
500:
95:Source
824:Gauls
417:Mouth
54:State
931:2016
906:2011
820:Gaul
809:and
793:Name
738:Dams
725:The
710:The
703:The
696:The
675:Ohio
657:and
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