Coal River (West Virginia)

The utilization of the rivers for navigation was enhanced in the mid 1851 by the construction of a 34-mile (55 km) lock and dam system designed by William Rosecrans.

[2] The log booms helped to channel cut timber into Sawmill locations along the Coal River near St. Albans, WV.

The Coal River from St. Albans to Upper Falls remains a federal government of the United States-designated navigable waterway.

Beginning around 1800, flax mills and gristmills were built and operated along the river, yielding fiber for the production of textiles in addition to staples such as flour and cornmeal.

Local volunteer watershed groups are working to restore the river and improve fish habitat and recreational opportunities.

They meet at Madison in Boone County and the river then flows generally northward, past the towns of Danville and Julian.

The Tour de Coal, a "paddling event" for canoes and kayaks normally held in June, is an 11-mile (18 km) trip from Upper Falls to St. Albans.