NORTHUMBERLAND, Pa. — The Susquehanna River Water Trail is the largest of Pennsylvania's water trails and is divided into four sections.
"The North Branch is 180 miles; it's also a very large geography. But we also have to remember it is a backyard river. It flows through many communities," said Alana Jajko, director of communications and outreach for the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership, a nonprofit working to grow the Susquehanna Greenway by connecting communities, promoting active, healthy living, and facilitating collaborative partnerships along the Susquehanna River.
The North Branch flows behind where we live and work. We may drive across it without even thinking about its resources.
"It's amazing how many people don't spend a lot of time on the river. So, connecting people with those resources and just seeing young people get excited about environmental work," said John Zaktansky, Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper.
The North Branch of the Susquehanna River is one of the four finalists for Pennsylvania's River of the Year. If it wins, it is not just a name designation but also a prize of $10,000, funding that could make a huge difference.
"Events and opportunities on the river to raise more awareness about some of the issues going on the river and ultimately get more people excited about the North Branch and some of the resources we find along it," Zaktansky said.
Several partners and nonprofits associated with the North Branch, like the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership and the Endless Mountains Heritage Region, are on standby, ready to promote awareness and use that funding to plan events, activities, and programs on the river. Those organizations co-nominated the North Brand for the contest.
"It's something that the people in our community will actually see come to fruition if we win. They'll see these events in their backyard; they'll be able to participate in them. Really just have fun along the river and see why it's so important to our community," Jajko said.
Voting for River of the Year closes at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. You can only vote once per email. Click here to vote.
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