The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) and the Delaware Sojourn Steering Committee are encouraging the publicto vote on-line for the Delaware River as Pennsylvania’s River of the Year. The voting ends Jan. 3.

Bestowed annually on a Commonwealth river by the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, this honor helps raise awareness about the significance of rivers, their conservation needs, and their recreational and economic impact on watershed communities.

Over 100 nominations were originally submitted for 21 waterways.

Individuals do not have to be from Pennsylvania in order to vote.

“The Delaware River is extremely important to Pennsylvania and the entire Mid-Atlantic region for its unparalleled water resources, robust recreational offerings, and fundamental role in our nation’s history,”

said Carol R. Collier, DRBC executive director and past chair of the Sojourn Steering Committee.

If chosen as the 2011 River of the Year, in addition to planning the 17th Delaware River Sojourn, DRBC and the Delaware Sojourn Steering Committee will work with a variety of other partners throughout the watershed to coordinate a series of events that will promote awareness of, stewardship for, and communities’ connections to the Delaware, as well as celebrate DRBC’s 50th anniversary milestone.

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The Delaware River is one of the biggest rivers on the Atlantic, flowing about 410 miles from the Catskill Mountains in southeast New York through New Jersey down to Delaware Bay. The river is popular for fishing and other recreational uses, such as canoeing, tubing and kayaking. It is a National Scenic and Recreational River, protected by the National Park Service. Several tour operators offer kayak tours down the Delaware River, some with guides.

Adventure Sports Canoe & Raft trips offers unguided Delaware River kayak tours in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. This part of the river has several islands and beaches. Kayak tours range in length from two hours to multi-day camping tours; rates include kayaks (or canoes or rafts) life jackets, paddles and river maps, as well as shuttle transportation. The company also will help with trip planning and orientation. One- or two-person kayak rental rates, as of April 2010, are $44 per person per day, for groups of up to nine people. For larger groups, the rate drops to as low as $33 per person (groups of 20 or more). For multi-day tours, guests use primitive National Park Service riverside or island campsites. They have fire rings and, in some cases, outhouses. These trips range in length from 14 miles to more than 40 miles. Adventure Sports Canoe & Raft Trips Route 209, Box 175 Marshalls Creek, PA 18335 800-487-2628 adventuresport.com

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