The Allegheny River has been chosen by public vote as the top waterway in the state.
The 325-mile stretch was named 2024 River of the Year, earning 8,307 votes to edge the Youghiogheny, which received 7,212 votes, and the Lackawaxen River, which received 4,740.
“I cannot wait to celebrate this incredible river during a sojourn later this year,” said Cindy Adams Dunn, secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
The historic Allegheny River starts as a stream in Potter County before crossing briefly through New York and then through six counties in Western Pennsylvania.
It ends in Pittsburgh where it meets the Monongahela River to flow into the Ohio River and provide drinking water to more than 1 million people.
Dunn thanked everyone who took the time to vote to “highlight one of our most precious natural resources.”
Three Rivers Waterkeeper nominated the Allegheny River and will receive a $10,000 leadership grant to help fund a slate of River of the Year activities.
A series of locks and dams constructed in the early 20th century make the Allegheny River navigable for barges to transport goods, Dunn said in a release. It also is used for recreation such as swimming, boating and fishing.
The river includes the Allegheny Islands Wilderness, a seven-island, 372-acre preserve with hardwoods and prolific bird populations.
The U.S. Forest Service has documented more than 50 types of mammals, 200 birds, 25 amphibians, 20 reptiles, 80 fish and 25 freshwater mussels in and around the Allegheny River. That includes the threatened salamander mussel, which boosts water quality by filtering out sediment and pollutants.
