Kanawha, << kuh NAW wuh, >> River is one of the chief waterways of West Virginia. It flows northwest to the Ohio River from the junction of the Gauley and New rivers. The Kanawha is navigable for about 100 miles (160 kilometers), almost its entire length. The land along the river contains deposits of coal, natural gas, and salt.
The Kanawha is part of an ancient river system that geologists call the Teays River. The Teays followed the course of the New River north from North Carolina. It flowed across what is now Ohio and Indiana and then joined the Mississippi River system. The action of glaciers changed the course of the Teays and led to the formation of the Ohio River.
