Vote Online to Choose Pennsylvania’s 2011 River of the Year

HARRISBURG — For the first time, citizens will directly choose the 2011 Pennsylvania River of the Year. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, or POWR, administer the River of the Year program. Local organizations submit nominations.

The six finalists for 2011 are: Clarion River, Conewango Creek, Delaware River, Kiskiminetas River, Pine Creek, and the Stonycreek River.

Visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us or www.pawatersheds.org and click on the appropriate links to read the nomination statement for each river and to vote. Voting ends Monday, Jan. 3.

Pennsylvania’s River of the Year is an honor designed to elevate public awareness of specific rivers and recognize important conservation needs and achievements. River of the Year designations have been presented annually since 1983.

When a waterway is chosen, the local organizations implement a year-round slate of activities and events to celebrate the river, including a special extended paddling trip known as a sojourn. A sojourn is a water-based journey for canoeists, kayakers and others to raise awareness of the environmental, recreational, tourism and heritage values of rivers.

The Pennsylvania Sojourn program, jointly run by DCNR and POWR, is a unique series of a dozen such trips on the state’s rivers. For more information about the sojourns, visit www.pawatersheds.org.

POWR and DCNR also work with the local organization to create a free commemorative poster celebrating the River of the Year.

Pennsylvania’s 2010 River of the Year is the Lackawaxen River, which flows nearly 25 miles through three counties before joining the Delaware River at Lackawaxen, Pike County.

To learn more about DCNR’s Rivers Program, visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us/brc/rivers.