Heather J. Chin with WHYY gives an overview of the River’s recent recognition:
Our very own Delaware River came out victorious in the race for Pennsylvania’s 2025 River of the Year, 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 previously won in 2002 and 2011.
The title comes with not just bragging rights, but also a commemorative poster (design TBD!), and a $15,000 grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to fund year-long celebrations, including paddling programs and community activities.
A River of the Year Paddle celebration will also take place in June.
“The Delaware River stands out not only for its role in American history, but also for its transformation into a model of ecological restoration and stewardship,” said Janet Sweeney of the Pa. Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR), which oversaw the contest along with DCNR.
Why we ♥️ Delaware River
DCNR touts the river as home to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and a natural resource with tributaries that are part of many studies for national protection under the Wild & Scenic Rivers program.
The obvious favorite on betting markets, it is the longest undammed river in the Eastern U.S., forming part of Pennsylvania’s border with New York and New Jersey.
Not only does the 301-mile-long river traverse three states, but it is “one of the last large free-flowing rivers left in the contiguous 48 states, one of the last major rivers without any dams or control structures on its main stem,” according to Rivers.gov.
Life along the Delaware also offers hidden shorelines, community spaces, wetlands and critical ecosystems that can’t be found anywhere else. Like every Philadelphian, the river has battled hardships like pollution, invisible threats like climate change, and changing water regulation to maintain its popularity as a key resource for the region and country.
ts importance also extends from the recreational and scientific/geological, to the economic and the historical — as a key trade port, as well as a part of U.S. history from the earliest days of its founding, thanks to George Washington’s famous crossing and Native American and colonial-era archaeological sites.
Blackbeard the pirate was also known to take refuge on the Delaware River, stopping over in Marcus Hook to visit a particular Swedish lady.
Read the full article here.