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The West Virginia University Boathouse is located in Morgantown’s Wharf District along the Monongahela River – just a two-minute walk from the WVU Visitors Center.
Constructed in 2007 below The Caperton Trail, the attractive climate-controlled facility houses the WVU fleet that includes (4) eights, (4) pair/doubles, (3) fours, and (1) single.
The WVU Boathouse has dressing facilities and locker room space, and the dock easily allows (3) eights to launch simultaneously.
The Monongahela River, commonly referred to as “The Mon," provides an idyllic rowing venue for the Mountaineers. A series of locks and dams along the Mon create a pooling affect so that a minimum navigable depth of nine feet is maintained year-round. From the boathouse, which sits just below the Morgantown Lock and Dam, the next lock and dam is located a little more than 10 miles downriver in Point Marion, Pa.
The name Monongahela is derived from a Native American term loosely meaning “river of falling banks” and/or “river of high bluffs." True to its name, the Mon flows well below its banks and is largely sheltered from prevailing winds by the surrounding bluffs. As such, the WVU crew team is often fortunate to train on calm water with little current.
In the spring of 2009, West Virginia University served host to its first-ever spring regatta on the Mon featuring Dayton, Duquesne and George Mason. The race ended at the Edith Barill Riverfront Park in nearby Star City.
