Gauley Season has officially begun. The Gauley River National Recreation Area sees more than 40,000 visitors each year during the peak white water rafting period at the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. It’s normally six-week period, but this year, it’s a seven-week period, according to Gov. Jim Justice. Each year, controlled releases from the Summersville Dam amount to 44 million gallons of water into the Gauley River, creating premier whitewater rafting conditions. This year’s releases began the weekend of September 6th and are scheduled to run until the weekend of October 19th. You can plan a rafting excursion at WVtourism.com.