Nominate a River

Nomination Details

Each year Pennsylvania nonprofit organizations are invited to nominate waterways for the Pennsylvania River of the Year.

Nominations must be submitted online and include the  waterway’s restoration and conservation needs and successes, as well as celebration plans if the nominee is voted as the River of the Year. The nomination period typically opens in late October and remains open for several weeks. A selection committee then chooses the slate of candidate rivers from those nominated that will be voted upon by the public. Public voting for the River of the Year begins in late  November.

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn had this to say about the 2021 River of the Year nominations: “During these most difficult times, never have we seen so many seeking out the natural resources around them, and flowing right through this newfound interest are so many activities connected to Pennsylvania’s wealth of rivers and streams. All of our waterways now are valued more intensely, and all those nominated in this annual selection process emerge as true winners. All have a pronounced public pride swirling around them that sees waterways protected and promoted by those who respect and enjoy them.”

The nomination period for the 2024 River of the Year is now closed.

For information about nominating, click here

All Pennsylvania waterways are eligible for nomination, except for the ROY winners since 2019. See the entire list here

To learn more about the 2023 River of the Year, click below