After placing second last year, the Schuylkill River beat out four other finalists to be named the 2014 Pennsylvania River of the Year.
The designation has been bestowed on rivers since 1983 by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers.
According to a press release from DCNR, along with the honor of being named River of the Year, the winning applicant in the competition, Schuylkill River Greenway Association, which manages the Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area, will receive a $10,000 leadership grant to help fund River of the Year activities.
"We are elated to have the Schuylkill be selected as Pennsylvania River of the Year for 2014," said Kurt Zwikl, executive director of the Schuylkill River Greenway Association. "We are particularly pleased to be named because in last year's balloting, we lost out by less than two hundred votes."
This is the second time the Schuylkill has been named River of the Year, having last received the distinction in 1999.
Schuylkill River Greenway Association plans to integrate the River of the Year message into its existing programs, including the Schuylkill River Sojourn, newer pedal/paddle events and a bike tour series on the adjacent Schuylkill River Trail.
"We would like to thank the Schuylkill River Development Corp. and Montgomery County, who also nominated the Schuylkill and will partner with us in 2014 to bring some outstanding river programming to southeast Pennsylvania," Zwikl said. "It is a statewide honor to be chosen, and our thanks go out to all of the individuals and organizations that endorsed us and voted for the Schuylkill."
The Schuylkill stretches 128 miles from Schuylkill County headwaters to its confluence with the Delaware River in Philadelphia. On the brink of becoming a wasteland, the river was targeted by the state in the Schuylkill River Project. Beginning in 1945, the first major government-funded environmental cleanup saw millions of tons of coal culm dredged from the river.
DCNR said that while the Schuylkill River was once one of the state's most heavily-polluted waterways, the river has undergone a dramatic recovery.
To win the honor, the general public was invited to vote online between Nov. 25 and Dec. 27, 2013.
The four other finalists were the Kiskiminetas-Conemaugh rivers in the southwest, Ohio in the west, Brodhead Creek Watershed in the northeast and the West Branch of the Susquehanna in the north central section of the state.
The public cast a total of 5,527 votes and final tallies were overseen by POWR.
The Schuylkill River received 43 percent of the votes, Kiski-Conemaugh rivers 21 percent, Ohio River 12 percent, Brodhead Creek Watershed 12 percent and the West Branch of the Susquehanna 12 percent.
"The number of waterways nominated, coupled with a vote tally that increases every year, showcases both the unique diversity of Pennsylvania's rivers and the strong community allegiances that protect and enhance them," DCNR Secretary Ellen Ferretti said. "All five of these waterways have winning qualities that their supporters recognize and respect."
William E. Reichert, Schuylkill Headwaters Association president, said Wednesday that his organization is thrilled about the announcement.
"Schuylkill Headwaters is really excited about the Schuylkill being named River of the Year," Reichert said. "We think it reflects on all of the work that has been done throughout the watershed from here to Philadelphia."
Patrick M. "Porcupine Pat" McKinney, educational coordinator for the Schuylkill County Conservation District, also said Wednesday that the naming of the Schuylkill River as River of the Year is "well-deserved."
"It was a major source, starting the industrial revolution," McKinney said. "I'm thrilled to see that this is possible here."
In a previous story, Sierra Gladfelter, outreach coordinator for Schuylkill Headwaters Association, said that 1.75 million people receive water from the Schuylkill River each year and countless more depend on it for recreation from Schuylkill County to Philadelphia.
She also said the river played an important part during the industrial revolution, moving coal and other raw materials downstream.
To learn more about the River of the Year program, the nominated waterways and past winners, visit www.pariveroftheyear.org.