Top image of Clarion River by photographer Kyle Yates
Want to show a little extra love to your local river? Pennsylvanians are being asked to nominate their favorite waterway for the 2025 River of the Year (ROY)!
“Each year, the River of the Year competition highlights one of Pennsylvania’s special waterways, and I’m excited to announce that we are again partnering with the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers to accept nominations for the 2025 competition,” said Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “Our beautiful rivers and streams support Pennsylvania’s $17 billion-dollar outdoor recreation industry, provide habitat for wildlife, and anchor communities. I look forward to this year’s competition and can’t wait to see what the public selects as the 2025 Pennsylvania River of the Year.”
The nomination period is open through Monday, November 11, at 5:00 PM. Selected nominations will be voted on by the public beginning in late November. For more information about the River of the Year program, visit the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers’ (POWR) website. To nominate a river or waterway, visit the Grants and Awards webpage and scroll down to “Apply.”
All Pennsylvania waterways are eligible for nomination, except for the past five years ROY winners below:
See a full list of previous ROY winners here. Previous winners are allowed to be nominated and win again, if they have not won within the past five years (before 2020).
Although the Allegheny River is not eligible to be nominated this year because of its recent win, there are plenty of other waterways in the Pennsylvania Wilds region that are eligible to be nominated.
Consider nominating one of the eligible waterways in the PA Wilds, including the following:
POWR administers the River of the Year program with funding from DCNR. 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.
“POWR is thrilled to announce the opening of the nomination period for the 2025 Pennsylvania River of the Year! This highly anticipated program shines a spotlight on the Commonwealth’s treasured waterways,” said POWR representative Janet Sweeney. “We look forward to another opportunity for Pennsylvanians to support their favorite rivers in a friendly competition across the state.” 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.
Visit DCNR’s website for more information about the agency and check out DCNR’s Calendar of Events for events on public lands.
Established on July 1, 1995, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is charged with maintaining and protecting 121 state parks; managing 2.2 million acres of state forest land; providing information on the state’s ecological and geologic resources; and establishing community conservation partnerships with grants and technical assistance to benefit rivers, trails, greenways, local parks and recreation, regional heritage parks, open space, and natural areas. DCNR’s mission is to conserve and sustain Pennsylvania’s natural resources for present and future generations’ use and enjoyment. Learn more at DCNR.pa.gov.
Author: Guest Contributor
The Pennsylvania Wilds is home to more than 2 million acres of public land, 50 state game lands, 29 state parks, 8 state forests, 2 National Wild & Scenic Rivers, abundant wildlife, hundreds of miles of land and water trails, some of the darkest skies in the country, and the largest elk herd in the northeast.
The PA Wilds team is grateful to share the many stories of this region through the words and images of our talented guest contributors.