Fun on Pennsylvania’s rivers - from canoes and kayaks slicing through white water to leisurely tube floats - will draw thousands of paddlers and other outdoors enthusiasts to waterways across the state this summer.

Gov. Tom Corbett has proclaimed June as “PA Rivers Month,’’ and a number of trips and activities have been scheduled throughout the state to highlight Pennsylvania’s rivers’ recreational and economic value.

On June 1, in Brownsville, Fayette County, the Monongahela River will officially be awarded the title of 2013’s Pennsylvania River of the Year. A series of four river paddling trips extending into September also has been planned to explore the river and its surrounding communities.

“There is a vital connection linking this waterway, area residents and visitors; and the sojourns and other activities planned by river advocates can only strengthen those bonds,” Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Richard Allan said. “Promoting awareness of how this river has rebounded and the continuing conservation needs of the Monongahela and other waterways across the state is the major goal of DCNR’s River of the Year designation.”

Flowing through Green, Fayette, Washington, Westmoreland and Allegheny counties, the Monongahela River joins the Allegheny River to form the Ohio River in Pittsburgh. With an extensive lock and dam system still in use today, the river serves as an example of how industrial and recreational uses can coexist side by side.

“Like so many of our great state rivers once sullied by mine drainage and other pollution, the Monongahela is surging back as a vital link to unlimited recreational potential and rich natural and historical resources,” Allan said. “From the West Virginia border to the heart of Pittsburgh, visitors are rediscovering our newest River of the Year and the scores of historic towns and villages it showcases.”

To help achieve that recognition six communities along the Monongahela River are participating in the Pennsylvania Environmental Council’s River Town Program. The program guides distressed communities bordering a navigable river to develop an alternative economic engine -- outdoor recreation -- to aid in community revitalization.

“The River of the Year designation has strengthened our hometown pride, not just for Brownsville, but for all the communities along the Monongahela,” Sara Goots, local project manager with the Brownsville Area Revitalization Corporation said. “We are working closely with the River Town Program and community representatives to spread awareness of the river and river-related events throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. The River of the Year Award Ceremony is a great opportunity to come to Brownsville and celebrate the Mon with us!”

River Town has planned a series of Monongahela River one-day paddling events for all abilities. Reservations are required and rental equipment will be offered for the following Saturday trips: June 8, Rices Landing to Fredericktown; August 17, California to Brownsville; and September 7, Charleroi to Monongahela.

For details on the “River of the Year Paddling Series,” call 412-481-9400 or send email to: lbaxter@pecpa.org.

Meanwhile, similar annual paddling events across Pennsylvania will encompass more than 500 river miles, span more than 50 on-the-water days, and engage more than 4,000 participants. Other upcoming river sojourns include:

Allegheny River Sojourn, June 1; 15th Annual Schuylkill River Sojourn: The Schuylkill During the Civil War, June 1-7; Perkiomen Creek Sojourn, June 8; Juniata River Sojourn, June 8-12; North Branch of the Susquehanna Sojourn, June 8-15; Lehigh River Sojourn, June 21-24; and Delaware River Sojourn, Our Remarkable River, June 22-29.

The Monongahela and other sojourn programs are coordinated by the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers in partnership with DCNR, as well as dozens of local organizations.

POWR’s mission is to advocate protection, restoration and enjoyment of water resources, and conduct programs that foster stewardship, communication, leadership and action.

Since 1983, a state River of the Year has been featured on posters sent to watershed organizations, local municipalities and interested individuals throughout the state to encourage a statewide focus on Pennsylvania's waterways.

For more sojourn event information, visit the POWR Sojourn webpage or contact Joshua Karns by sending email to: info@pawatersheds.org.

More on Pennsylvania’s rivers, visit DCNR’s Rivers Program webpage.

6/3/2013