VOTE HERE FOR the Susquehanna river
A VARIETY OF THREATS Recognition from a River of the Year win would help partnering agencies tackle a number of issues the North Branch faces, according to Cain Chamberlin, executive director of the Endless Mountains Heritage Region, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2023 and co-nominated (with the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership) the river for consideration. “There is definitely a need for more public access points along the North Branch, which requires the maintenance of our existing accesses as well as riverside communities to create new ones along the water trail,” he said.
Another continuing issue for the North Branch involves excessive sedimentation. “When it rains, the river really lives up to its reputation of years past as a ‘muddy river,’” said Tuttle. “Some of the tributaries contribute an increased amount of sediment runoff which we see for almost a week before it clears up.” That erosion, along with an increase in invasive species such as the emerald ash borer, hemlock woolly adelgid and spotted lanternfly, has led to a higher number of dead trees along the river’s shores, according to Chamberlain. “Those trees eventually wind up falling into the water and creating strainers for paddlers and boaters on the Susquehanna,” he said. “In our region, volunteer first responders have graciously removed some of these larger obstacles on the river to eliminate these safety hazards, but these local fire companies can only do so much and water trail management organizations like the EMHR do not have the capacity or resources to take on these tasks.” Like most rivers that travel through a variety of population hubs, the North Branch of the Susquehanna has a long history of industrial pollution.
events that sweep debris into the water and those who purposefully dump unwanted items into the Susquehanna through the years have created a major challenge for organizations like ours,” Chamberlain said. “While the Susquehanna is much cleaner now than it was decades ago prior to environmental regulations, we still have a great deal of work to do.” AWARENESS INTO ACTION That work can be made easier via better awareness that can come from a River of the Year designation, according to Alana Jajko of the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership, which has seen an explosion of public interest in paddling excursions, including a North Branch sojourn this past summer that sold out in a few weeks. “Events like this serve as a gateway for people to really experience the river first-hand and understand the work that still needs to be done,” she said “By providing access to these outdoor opportunities, we’re hoping to build a bridge that can help transform that enthusiasm into action.” The Endless Mountains Heritage Region manages the upper leg of the North Branch water trail from the Columbia/ Luzerne county line to the New York boarder (146 miles). In addition to the
Kayakers enjoy the North Branch between Berwick & Bloomsburg during the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership’s 2022 Susquehanna Sojourn.
“Centuries of industrial growth and operations along its shores, flooding
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