The Allegheny River in western Pennsylvania has been selected by a public vote as the state’s 2024 River of the Year, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn and Janet Sweeney of the Pennsylvania Organization for Waterways and Rivers (POWR) announced today.
“We are excited to honor the Allegheny River as Pennsylvania’s 2024 River of the Year, and I cannot wait to celebrate this incredible river during a sojourn later this year,” Dunn said. “Congratulations to Three Rivers Waterkeeper for the successful campaign and earning this prestigious honor. Thank you to everyone who voted in this wonderful competition highlighting one of our most precious natural resources.”
The historic Allegheny River starts as a stream in Potter County, meandering through a field of wildflowers before crossing briefly through New York and then through six counties in Western Pennsylvania. The 325-mile river ends in Pittsburgh where it meets the Monongahela River and flows into the Ohio River, providing drinking water to more than one million people and acting as an ecologically and economically precious water trail.
“POWR would like to commend everyone for their support for the nominated rivers, especially for the strong showing of support for the Allegheny River,” Sweeney said. “The River of the Year program continues to engage our communities by providing a wonderful opportunity to showcase all the nominated rivers and the great work being done in Pennsylvania on these resources. We are excited about the opportunity to highlight the Allegheny River this year.”
Three Rivers Waterkeeper nominated the Allegheny River, and will receive a $10,000 Leadership Grant to help fund a slate of year-long 2024 River of the Year activities. DCNR and POWR will work with them to create a free, commemorative poster celebrating the Allegheny River as the 2024 Pennsylvania River of the Year.
“We were so excited to see just how many people came together to show their support for the Allegheny River after we nominated it for River of the Year,” said Jess Friss, the Director of Community Programs at Three Rivers Waterkeeper. “We are looking forward to everything we are able to do this year to promote all the wonderful resources the Allegheny River provides to us, including a summer kickoff! We are dedicated to protecting the water quality of the Allegheny River and all its uses, and knowing that it was awarded the River of the Year because of the support of the community shows the collective commitment to environmental stewardship, recreation, and love for our waterways that defines this community.”
A commemorative River of the Year sojourn is among many paddling trips supported by DCNR and POWR each year.
A wide range of activities are planned to celebrate the Allegheny River as the 2024 PA River of the Year. Additional Information on those activities can be found on our calendar here: Calendar or at Three Rivers Waterkeeper.
