Hike the Highlands

Photo of the Schuylkill River by Berks Conservancy

There's just one more week left to cast your vote for your favorite waterway as Pennsylvania's River of the Year for 2013.  The River of the Year contest, which is held annually by the Pennsylvania Organization for Rivers and Watersheds, recognizes some of the most extraordinary waterways in our state.  In the past, those watersheds have included the Lackawaxen, the Youghiogheny, and the Delaware.   Last year, the Stonycreek River, in Cambria and Somerset Counties, received the distinction.

This year, two of the six rivers in the running are located in the Pennsylvania Highlands - the Schuylkill and the Swatara.  They're up against the Kiskiminetas, the Juniata, the Lackawanna, and the Monongahela. 

The 128-mile Schuylkill is currently in the lead, with a third of the vote.   The Schuylkill, which winds through the iconic farms and forests of the Pennsylvania Highlands, all the way to Philadelphia, provides ample recreational opportunities as well as a source of drinking water for 1.5 million people.  Its transformation from an industrially-polluted waterway to a fishing and paddling destination is a testament to the efforts of local watershed advocates working together with public officials and water treatment professionals.  If the Schulkill wins, it will be highlighted throughout the year with a series of events and paddling trips meant to foster broader awareness its ecological, economic, and cultural importance. 

Voting ends on January 18th.  Make sure to vote here.