2026 River of the Year Vote Underway

[McSneek]

Please visit https://pawatersheds.org/river-of-the-year/ to cast your vote for river of the year. Nominees are the Conestoga, Lower Schuylkill and Chillisquaque Creek. The Conestoga is near and dear to my heart and if it’s selected it will also be an honor for Ad Crable, long time outdoor writer for Lancaster newspapers. Ad passed away earlier this year.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Man, those choices are tough! I work in Philly and still walk the lower Skuke on the trail several times per week. I fished it most of youth and through the smallmouth heydays (and declines).

The story about Ad Crable is compelling, and I know the Conestoga could be even better.

But my son goes to Bucknell, so I selfishly would love see some more improvements to the Chillisquaque too! Could that become like a lower Penns someday? Inquiring minds want to know 😉

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Not a tough choice for me-I'm votin' for the Mighty Stoga! I grew up w/in walking distance of it. Now, come to think of it, so much of my childhood revolved around that crick. The paving company my dad worked for owned a plot of land along the Conestoga, so even as a 3-4yr old, my dad would take me down there to go fishing and, when I got old enough, to hunt ducks.

My mom's side of the family has a large family reunion every summer at my great uncle's house-right along the banks of the river. My dad used to let us bring our tackle along so that when we got bored at the reunion, we'd go fishing.

As a school age kid during the summer, my brother and I used to walk down to the Conestoga and fish for smallies almost all day every day.

It was the Conestoga where I first cased a fly rod as well...I still, when I travel back to the 717 to visit family, try to go out at least one day to fish for smallies on it.

 

[dc410]

I voted for the ‘Stoga as well. I also grew up stomping in and around the Conestoga River on a regular basis. My biggest carp on the fly to date came out of the Conestoga River in the Safe Harbor Park area while I was actually targeting pre-spawn Smallies.

 

[caddisflyer]

I vote Conestoga, maybe. What actual benefit does the chosen waterway receive? (I always see these so called awards as drawing even more negative attention from people. Conestoga needs less of that kind of attention not more). Is this another feel good award? Fixing the sewage outflows all along it and dealing with ag run off seems low on every municipalities list. A few more kayak launch sites will not help the river. The amount of toilet paper and trash and other unmentionables in The Conestoga River below Lancaster City is a disgrace. Drive over the river after a good rain and it smells like a washing machine mixed with sewage. Meanwhile Lancaster seems to be booming with new businesses etc.

 

[McSneek]

I vote Conestoga, maybe. What actual benefit does the chosen waterway receive? (I always see these so called awards as drawing even more negative attention from people. Conestoga needs less of that kind of attention not more). Is this another feel good award? Fixing the sewage outflows all along it and dealing with ag run off seems low on every municipalities list. A few more kayak launch sites will not help the river. The amount of toilet paper and trash and other unmentionables in The Conestoga River below Lancaster City is a disgrace. Drive over the river after a good rain and it smells like a washing machine mixed with sewage. Meanwhile Lancaster seems to be booming with new businesses etc.

If you clicked on the provided link you would have seen that:

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.​

The Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR), an affiliate of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, administers the River of the Year program with funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR).

Nominations are accepted in the fall of each year. From those nominations submitted, up to five waterways are selected to go up for public vote.

After a waterway is chosen, local groups implement a year-round slate of activities and events to celebrate the river, including a River of the Year Sojourn. The nominating organization of the winning river will receive a $15,000 leadership grant to help fund their River of the Year activities.

POWR and PA DCNR also work with the winner to create a free, commemorative poster celebrating the River of the Year.

The Conestoga can use all the attention it can get for the very reasons you mentioned. It suffers greatly from sewage and farm runoff.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

The Conestoga can use all the attention it can get for the very reasons you mentioned. It suffers greatly from sewage and farm runoff.

Great point. But from the stretches of Chillisquaque I have seen, it seems like a lower gradient crick running through farm country too. Less densely populated area too, so does that mean any improvements might last longer than in urban (and growing) Lancaster area?

 

[caddisflyer]

If you clicked on the provided link you would have seen that:

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.​

The Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR), an affiliate of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, administers the River of the Year program with funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR).

Nominations are accepted in the fall of each year. From those nominations submitted, up to five waterways are selected to go up for public vote.

After a waterway is chosen, local groups implement a year-round slate of activities and events to celebrate the river, including a River of the Year Sojourn. The nominating organization of the winning river will receive a $15,000 leadership grant to help fund their River of the Year activities.

POWR and PA DCNR also work with the winner to create a free, commemorative poster celebrating the River of the Year.

The Conestoga can use all the attention it can get for the very reasons you mentioned. It suffers greatly from sewage and farm runoff.

I did and it looks like the same old feel good stuff I was talking about.

 

[hooker-of-men]

Mmmm, chilaquiles...

 

[shakey]

Schuylkill is what I was shooting for, but, I think it logged my vote as for the conesyoga 😂