Our very personal Delaware River got here out victorious within the race for Pennsylvania’s 2025 River of the Yr, racking up 2,962 votes (36.8%) to clinch the title, beating out underdog Perkiomen Creek (28.5%) and the western Pa. candidate, the Youghiogheny River (34.6%).
This marks the third time the Delaware River has earned the title, having beforehand received in 2002 and 2011.
The title comes with not simply bragging rights, but additionally a commemorative poster (design TBD!), and a $15,000 grant from the state Division of Conservation and Pure Assets (DCNR) to fund year-long celebrations, together with paddling applications and neighborhood actions.
A River of the Yr Paddle celebration may also happen in June.
“The Delaware River stands out not just for its function in American historical past, but additionally for its transformation right into a mannequin of ecological restoration and stewardship,” stated Janet Sweeney of the Pa. Group for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR), which oversaw the competition together with DCNR.
Why we ♥️ Delaware River
DCNR touts the river as dwelling to the Delaware Water Hole Nationwide Recreation Space, and a pure useful resource with tributaries which can be a part of many research for nationwide safety below the Wild & Scenic Rivers program.
The apparent favourite on betting markets, it’s the longest undammed river within the Japanese U.S., forming a part of Pennsylvania’s border with New York and New Jersey.
Not solely does the 301-mile-long river traverse three states, however it’s “one of many final giant free-flowing rivers left within the contiguous 48 states, one of many final main rivers with none dams or management buildings on its major stem,” in keeping with Rivers.gov.
Life alongside the Delaware additionally gives hidden shorelines, neighborhood areas, wetlands and important ecosystems that may’t be discovered wherever else. Like each Philadelphian, the river has battled hardships like air pollution, invisible threats like local weather change, and altering water regulation to take care of its reputation as a key useful resource for the area and nation.
Its significance additionally extends from the leisure and scientific/geological, to the financial and the historic — as a key commerce port, in addition to part of U.S. historical past from the earliest days of its founding, due to George Washington’s well-known crossing and Native American and colonial-era archaeological websites.
Blackbeard the pirate was additionally identified to take refuge on the Delaware River, stopping over in Marcus Hook to go to a specific Swedish girl.
Having each main northeast hall metropolis from Boston and NYC to Philly and Washington D.C. inside strolling distance or a brief drive/practice journey away additionally gave it the numbers benefit: extra potential voters who’ve traversed its Higher, Center and Decrease parts!
We nonetheless ♥️ Perkiomen Creek
Though it didn’t win the title, Perkiomen Creek remains to be a regional “true hidden gem” that sits northwest of Philly and runs via a few of the most geologically fascinating areas within the state. It’s also the latest PA State Water Path within the system.
The Perkiomen is a hub of recreation for these in-the-know, dwelling to the Lenape Problem Journey Race, the Perkiomen Creek Sojourn and the Perkiomen Creek Stream Cleanup, the state’s largest single-day stream cleanup with hundreds of volunteers collaborating yearly.
As a creek, it’s additionally accessible – at 38 miles, with a 20-plus-mile strolling/biking path referred to as the Perkiomen Path, which parallels the creek on a repurposed railroad mattress, nature lovers can probably take all of it in over a protracted, enjoyable weekend, getting loads of pure magnificence with out the crowds and overwhelming measurement.