Kanawha River

The Kanawha River is an unmarked river flowing through the former U.S. state of West Virginia.

Background
The Kanawha River is formed by the Summersville Dam on its namesake lake. It flows northwest through Charleston, formerly spanned by the South Side Bridge, joined by the New River before continuing southwest into the Ohio River.

In 2082, after the Summersville Dam was destroyed by David Thorpe during the Christmas Flood, the Kanawha River overflowed, devastating West Virginia's capital city. While the original banks of the river are still visible, the Kanawha is far more shallow, branching through Charleston in the riverbed's lowest elevations. After the dried-up New River intersects the Kanawha, the river's course is almost completely barren, with only a few sparse patches of water remaining, dotted by makeshift structures.

Appearances
The Kanawha River appears in Fallout 76, though its name is only mentioned in the Fallout 76 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide.

Behind the scenes
The Kanawha River is based on the real-world river of the same name, which instead begins at the confluence of the Gauley River and New River, eventually flowing into the Ohio River.