Geography
The Monongahela is formed by the confluence of the West Fork River and its "East Fork" — the Tygart Valley River — at Fairmont, West Virginia. The river is navigable its entire length with a series of locks and dams that maintain a minimum depth of 9 feet (2.7 m) to accommodate coal-laden barges. In Pennsylvania, the Monongahela is met by two major tributaries: the Cheat River, which joins at Point Marion, and the Youghiogheny River, which joins at McKeesport.
The upper drainage area of the river basin is renowned for its whitewater kayaking (and in some cases rafting) opportunities. The land here is of a very rugged plateau type which allows streams to gather sufficient water volume before they fall off the plateau and create challenging rapids. Some of the best known specific stream locations for this include:
- Youghiogheny River at Ohiopyle, PA
- Youghiogheny River at Friendsville, MD
- Cheat River at Albright, WV
- Tygart River at Belington, WV
Read more about this topic: Monongahela River
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