The Meadow River is a tributary of the
Gauley River
The Gauley River is a river in West Virginia. It merges with the New River to form the Kanawha River, a tributary of the Ohio River. The river features numerous recreational whitewater areas, including those in Gauley River National Recreation Ar ...
, making its headwaters in
Greenbrier County
Greenbrier County () is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,977. Its county seat is Lewisburg. The county was formed in 1778 from Botetourt and Montgomery counties in Virginia.
History
P ...
and terminating in
Nicholas County of
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...
. It is named for the grassy meadows wetlands which its upper watershed drains, and from which it springs.
Course
Formed at the confluence of Eagle Branch and Callahan Branch, and flowing generally southeast to northwest, it passes
Rupert,
Charmco, and
Rainelle. Major tributaries include Methodist Branch, Otter Creek, Little Clear Creek, Big Clear Creek, Mill Creek, Laurel Creek, Meadow Creek, Brackens Creek, Young's Creek, Glade Creek, Hendricks Creek and Dogwood Creek, before reaching its mouth at the
Gauley River
The Gauley River is a river in West Virginia. It merges with the New River to form the Kanawha River, a tributary of the Ohio River. The river features numerous recreational whitewater areas, including those in Gauley River National Recreation Ar ...
at
Carnifex Ferry, West Virginia. The river flows a total of , mostly within the
Meadow River Wildlife Management Area. The lower is within the
Gauley River National Recreation Area. The river drains .
Via the Gauley,
New
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
,
Kanawha and
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
Rivers, it becomes a part of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...
watershed.
History
In 1858 a dam was proposed near the present day site of the town of Rainelle, between Big Sewell and Laurel Mountains. It was never built.
Whitewater paddling below Rainelle
The stretch between
Rainelle, WV and Russelville features class III, IV, and a touch of class V in high water. After a flatwater stretch the river reaches the town of Nallen. Immediately below Nallen features mostly class III and IV water for the next running up to the
U.S. 19 bridge. The final lower section below the U.S. 19 bridge to the confluence of the
Gauley River
The Gauley River is a river in West Virginia. It merges with the New River to form the Kanawha River, a tributary of the Ohio River. The river features numerous recreational whitewater areas, including those in Gauley River National Recreation Ar ...
is arguably the most difficult whitewater river in West Virginia. This class V+ section has an extreme gradient and severely undercut rocks-claiming the lives of three experienced paddlers since records began to be kept.
Rapids include:
* Put In (Class III+)
* Rites of Passage (Class IV+)
* Hells Gates (Class 5.2)
* Brink of Disaster (Class 5.0)
* Coming Home Sweet Jesus (Class 5.3)
* Sieve City (Class 5.0)
* Heavy Water (Class IV)
* Lets Make a Deal (Class IV+)
* First and Second Island (Class V)
* Sliding Board (Class IV+)
* Double Undercut (Class 5.1)
See also
*
List of rivers of West Virginia
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of West Virginia.
List of West Virginia rivers includes streams formally designated as rivers. There are also smaller streams (i.e., branches, creeks, drains, forks, licks, runs, etc.) in the state. Ex ...
References
External links
Real Time Flow Data from USGS
Rivers of Greenbrier County, West Virginia
Rivers of West Virginia
Rivers of Fayette County, West Virginia
Rivers of Nicholas County, West Virginia
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