Each year, three rivers are nominated by the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers be the Commonwealth’s “River of the Year,” and this year the Perkiomen Creek is one of them.
The final determination will be made by the number of votes each waterway receives. Online voting is open now at https://pawatersheds.org/vote-for-a-2025-river-of-the-year/ and ends on Jan. 24. There is only one vote allowed per e-mail address.
Competition for the most votes will be stiff, given that the other two nominees are much larger rivers: The Delaware River, which separates Pennsylvania from New Jersey and New York, and the always-hard-to-spell Youghiogheny River.
The Perkiomen Creek is a 37.7-mile tributary of the Schuylkill River, stretching through Berks, Lehigh, and Montgomery counties. The creek is currently running third in the voting with 30 percent of the vote.
The Delaware River is the longest un-dammed river in the eastern United States and is currently leading in the voting with 35 percent of the vote, according to PA Watersheds. The Youghiogheny River, currently in second place with 34 percent of the vote, runs through Pittsburgh, West Virginia, and western Maryland.
According to the organization’s website, the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers administers the River of the Year program with funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
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.”
“This highly anticipated program shines a spotlight on the Commonwealth’s treasured waterways,” POWR representative Janet Sweeney, said in a post on the organization’s website. “We look forward to another opportunity for Pennsylvanians to support their favorite rivers in a friendly competition across the state.”
“These three rivers are remarkable examples of Pennsylvania’s rich natural heritage,” said Cindy Adams Dunn, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “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.”
Once a river is selected, the local host will organize a year-long series of events and activities to celebrate the river, including the popular River of the Year Sojourn. The nominating organization of the winning river will receive a $10,000 leadership grant to help fund these River of the Year activities.