River, West Virginia, U.S. Formed by the confluence of the New and Gauley rivers, it flows northwest for 97 mi (156 km), entering the Ohio River at Point Pleasant.
It has dams and locks and is navigable to Kanawha Falls, located 30 mi (48 km) above Charleston, W.Va. The Kanawha River valley has extensive deposits of salt brines and natural gas and oil wells.