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DCNR, Partners Celebrate Loyalsock Creek’s River Of The Year Honor, PA Rivers Month

On June 22, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn joined state and local officials, and Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association members in celebrating the designation of Loyalsock Creek as Pennsylvania’s 2018 River of the Year in Williamsport, Lycoming County.

DCNR has invested $40,000 to develop a river conservation plan for Loyalsock Creek and has approved a $10,000 grant to the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association for stream-based support events, education and celebrations throughout 2018.

“As Governor Wolf noted in his proclamation naming June ‘Pennsylvania Rivers Month’ and commending the Loyalsock and its supporters, healthy, rebounding waterways are a boon to area communities,” Dunn said. “A major tributary to the Susquehanna, the Loyalsock draws legions of paddlers, anglers and other outdoors enthusiasts to its waters, as well as neighboring businesses. Events like this serve economic revitalization by enhancing access to the stream; increasing tourism; and providing additional land and water-based recreational opportunities for area residents and visitors alike."

Held to commemorate PA Rivers Month, the River of the Year celebration highlights the state’s wealth of rivers and streams, and recognizes their supporters. It includes a sojourn on a stretch of the Loyalsock, which Dunn will be joining Saturday.

“We are delighted to share time with Secretary Dunn as we celebrate the creek's River of the Year designation today, and paddle on the Loyalsock to the West Branch Susquehanna River on Saturday,” Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Carol Parenzan. “Not only are we connecting community to the creek but the creek to the river. We all live upstream. We are all the first source for clean water. We look forward to seeing the Loyalsock Creek through the eyes of Secretary Dunn.”

Loyalsock Creek flows through Worlds End State Park, a highly popular destination state park encompassing 780 acres, and Loyalsock State Forest. Nearby is the Loyalsock Trail, a well-traveled 59-mile trail providing vistas overlooking the stream below.

Presented annually since 1983, PA Organization of Waterways (POWR) administers the River of the Year program with funding from DCNR. A commemorative River of the Year sojourn is among many paddling trips supported by DCNR and POWR each year.

An independent program, the Pennsylvania Sojourn Program, is a unique series of trips on state waterways. These water-based journeys for canoeists, kayakers and others raise awareness of the environmental, recreational, tourism and heritage values of rivers. For more information about the sojourn program, visit the POWR website.

To learn more about the River of the Year program, the nominated waterways, and past winners, visit the Pennsylvania River of the Year website.

To learn more about DCNR’s Rivers Program, visit the DCNR's Rivers Conservation webpage.

For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit DCNR’s website, Click Here to sign up for the Resource newsletter, Visit the Good Natured DCNR Blog, Click Here for upcoming events, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

(Photo: DCNR Secretary Dunn unveils Loyalsock River Of The Year poster.)

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