On December 9, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn invited the public to vote for Pennsylvania’s 2025 River of the Year.

Online voting is open now through January 24, 2025, allowing Pennsylvanians to choose from three nominated waterways: the Delaware River, Youghiogheny River, and Perkiomen Creek.

“These three rivers are remarkable examples of Pennsylvania’s rich natural heritage,” said Secretary Dunn. “This competition not only highlights their unique qualities but also builds community pride and emphasizes their recreational, cultural, and economic importance. I can’t wait to see which waterway earns the 2025 title.”

About the Nominees

-- Delaware River: The longest undammed river in the Eastern U.S., forming part of Pennsylvania’s border with New York and New Jersey

-- Perkiomen Creek: A 37.7-mile tributary of the Schuylkill River, stretching through Berks, Lehigh, and Montgomery counties.

-- Youghiogheny River: A hub for water recreation, flowing from the Laurel Highlands into West Virginia.

The River of the Year program, administered by the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR) with funding from DCNR, celebrates Pennsylvania’s waterways while raising awareness of conservation needs.

How to Vote

Voting is open now through 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 24, 2025. Votes can be cast online at the POWR website, with details on each nominee and the River of the Year program. One vote per email address is permitted.

“We are excited to once again kick off the public online voting process for Pennsylvania River of the Year,” said Janet Sweeney, of PA Organization for Watersheds and Rivers. “As we all continue to spend more time outdoors and deepen our appreciation for the beautiful natural resources of Pennsylvania, the annual River of the Year voting process is a fun way to rally behind and support your favorite waterway.”

The winning river’s nominating organization will receive a $10,000 DCNR grant to fund year-long celebrations, including paddling events and community activities. A commemorative poster will also be created to honor the 2025 River of the Year.

The annual River of the Year sojourn is part of a larger series of paddling trips supported by DCNR and POWR to promote environmental awareness, recreation, and heritage.

Learn more about the sojourns at the POWR Sojourns webpage.

Visit DCNR’s Rivers Conservation webpage to learn more about the Rivers Program.

Visit Explore PA Trails and Get Outdoors PA for recreation areas near you.

Visit the PA Parks & Forests Foundation’s Events webpage and DCNR’s Calendar of Events for activities happening near you.

For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit DCNR’s website, 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.

Related Articles This Week - Watersheds:

-- Chesapeake Bay Executive Council, Including Gov. Shapiro Announce Plans To Revise Watershed Agreement, Form New Agricultural Advisory Committee  [PaEN]

-- DEP Awards $24 Million In Grants To Support County Clean Water Projects To Improve Water Quality In Chesapeake Bay Watershed  [PaEN]

-- Coalition For The Delaware River Watershed, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Announce $17 Million In Grants To Enhance The Health Of The Delaware River Watershed  [PaEN]

-- Vote Now For Pennsylvania's 2025 River Of The Year Among 3 Finalists-- Delaware River, Perkiomen Creek, Youghiogheny River [PaEN]

-- Congress Passes Good Samaritan Legislation To Address Toxic Legacy Of Abandoned Mines, Biden Expected To Sign  [PaEN]

-- Headwaters To The Ohio Water Network Launches Assessment Of Needs Of Community-Based Watershed Groups And Leaders; Seeks Partners In PA  [PaEN]

-- Friends Of The Wissahickon Mark Completion Of $3.5 Million Valley Green Run Restoration & Pedestrian Bridge Project  [PaEN]

-- PA Interfaith Power & Light Launching Watershed Circle Watershed Protector Training For Congregations, Community Groups  [PaEN]

-- DEP Finalizes Great Lakes Water Management Program 5-Year Report  [PaEN]

-- PA Sea Grant Now Accepting Research Proposals To Enhance Use, Conservation Of PA's Coastal, Watershed And Great Lakes Resources; Jan. 15 Webinar  [PaEN]

-- PA Sea Grant: Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Application Period Open For Graduate Students  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Center For Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training Hosts Jan. 22 Webinar On Safeguarding Private Drinking Water Sources [PaEN]

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-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper: US Fish & Wildlife Service Proposes Eastern Hellbender As Endangered Species After Groups Push For Better Protections

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-- DEP Invites Comments On Total Maximum Daily Load Water Quality Plan For Buffalo Creek In Perry County  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Trout Unlimited: A Watershed Moment: Congress Passes Good Samaritan Legislation To Address Toxic Legacy Of Abandoned Mines

-- Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership: Federal Good Samaritan Legislation To Help Cleanup Abandoned Mines Heads To President’s Desk

-- National Wildlife Federation: Final Passage Of Federal Good Samaritan Act Will Encourage Abandoned Mine Cleanup

-- PA Capital-Star: Shapiro Joins Governors In Renewed Commitment To Chesapeake Bay Cleanup

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Governors Seek To Shore Up Bay Cleanup Amid Uncertainties

-- LancasterOnline: Lancaster Conservation District Receives $5.9 Million For Chesapeake Bay Watershed Pollution Reduction

-- Altoona Mirror: Mid-State Counties Receive Funds To Fight Pollution Of Chesapeake Bay

-- The Daily Item Editorial: State Grants Support Shared Responsibility For Chesapeake Bay Cleanup

-- Lancaster Farming: New Ag Committee To Advise Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Program

-- Altoona Mirror: Mid-State Counties Receive Funds To Fight Pollution Of Chesapeake Bay

-- The Daily Item Editorial: State Grants Support Shared Responsibility For Chesapeake Bay Cleanup

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Ad Crable: Study Points To Farmland Treated With Biosolids As Possible Source Of PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Fish

-- Forests For The Chesapeake Bay Newsletter: Loysville Youth Center Reforestation Project; Hackberry; Tree Tender & Woods In Your Backyard Education; Much More!

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog: 2025 Calendar Offers Key Dates To Connect With Nature, Tips For Journaling And Citizen Science

-- WHYY: Conservationists Celebrate More Than 200 Federally Funded Projects To Restore Waterways In Delaware Watershed

-- Delaware RiverKeeper Dec. 13 RiverWatch Video Report

-- Warren Times: Allegheny River Cleanup Recognized By US Forest Service

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Allegheny County’s Stormwater Issues Require Coordinated Response - By Olivia Zelinsky, Chatham University student 

-- Center For Biological Diversity: Lawsuit Launched To Cleanup Coal Ash Storage Pond At Talen Energy Brunner Island Power Plant Along The Susquehanna River In York County

-- USDA Invests $9.1 Million In Sewage Facility Upgrades In Dauphin, Westmoreland Counties

-- Partnership For The Delaware Estuary: Gardening For Clean Water Newsletter For Habitat Owners, Caretakers

-- Post-Gazette: PA Lawmakers Protest Coast Guard Cuts In Pittsburgh; Staffing Shortages Blamed

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[Posted: December 9, 2024]

12/16/2024