Shenango River named Pa. River of the Year; Buffalo, Loyalhanna creeks finish in Top 5

Although the 82-mile-long Shenango River in Northwestern Pennsylvania earned recognition as Pennsylvania’s 2021 River of the Year, promoters of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s Buffalo and Loyalhanna creeks said they were happy to see their waterways finish in the Top 5.

Sponsored by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the River of the Year is determined by residents’ online voting. After a waterway is chosen for the honor, the nonprofit that nominated the waterway receives a $10,000 grant and serves up a year-round slate of activities and events to celebrate the state designation.

A total of 16,494 votes were cast for this year’s five nominees:

1 .Shenango River in Northwestern Pennsylvania won with 5,436 votes (33%)

2. Lehigh River, Eastern Pennsylvania, 5,287 votes (32%)

3. Buffalo Creek, Armstrong and Butler counties, 3,079 votes (19%)

4. Loyalhanna Creek, Westmoreland County, 1,703 (10%)

5. Tunkhannock Creek, Eastern Pennsylvania, 989 (6%)

“Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania congratulates the Shenango River on being voted Pennsylvania’s River of the Year for 2021,” said Rachel Handel, spokeswoman for Audubon, which nominated Buffalo Creek.

“While we’d hoped that Buffalo Creek would take the top spot, we are grateful for the support of our local community, which uses Buffalo Creek as a recreation and fishing spot,” Handel said.

It was the second year that Buffalo Creek has competed for River of the Year.

Buffalo Creek, flowing from Butler County into Freeport to the Allegheny River, is also an Audubon Important Bird Area because of its diversity of birds and unique habitat.

Audubon is constructing the Babcock Nature Center in Buffalo Township, along Buffalo Creek and the Butler-Freeport Community Trail, to offer programs and serve as a hub for outdoor and nature activities. Audubon owns and operates Todd Sanctuary in Buffalo Township, which offers spectacular scenery and wildlife habitat.

Events are planned throughout the year for Loyalhanna Creek, a tributary of the Kiski River. The Loyalhanna Watershed Association is planning events for 2021 to celebrate its 50^th anniversary.

“It is always wonderful to see a deserving Western PA waterway win this award,” said Susan Huba, director of the association. This is the third year that Loyalhanna Creek has competed for River of Year.

To learn more about the creek and this year’s events, visit the association’s website.

Shenango River Watchers is currently the only organization in Mercer County whose sole focus is the clean-up, preservation and protection of the Shenango River and its recreational opportunities. They will offer a menu of events throughout the year.

Visit their website, shenangoriverwatchers.org, to learn more about their activities and events.