Conestoga Named Pennsylvania River of the Year, Marking a Significant Milestone

The river, once associated with pollution and degradation, has become a pillar for community enjoyment and recreation

Officials honored the Conestoga River as Pennsylvania’s River of the Year for 2026 today at a ceremony in Lancaster County Central Park, marking a significant milestone in the river’s comeback.

The event is a part of Lancaster Water Week, an annual celebration of the 1,400 miles of streams and rivers in Lancaster County, hosted by Lancaster Conservancy. This week of events encourages people to enjoy, learn, volunteer, and take action to clean and protect the waterways throughout the county.

Historically, the Conestoga River was highly polluted, and many tributaries are still considered impaired. However, the river has become a source of increased recreation and enjoyment for local communities. It received 2,510 votes for river of the year, demonstrating a local source of pride and engagement.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) Senior Watershed Planner Brian Gish is a Lancaster native, and led a multi-year effort, to develop a comprehensive plan to improve the headwaters of the Conestoga River.

Gish issued the following statement:

“How Lancaster has rallied around the Conestoga River has been nothing short of inspiring. My entire life, I’ve encountered negative perceptions of this waterway, but recently I’ve seen attitudes pivot. In my conversations with the watershed’s farmers, residents, and leaders, indifference is transforming into passion and action.”

“Countless projects are undoing centuries of damage, driven by a community—my community—reconsidering its relationship with this river. The Conestoga’s future is our future, and we’re taking steps to secure both. I’m seeing our river heal. If we stay the course, it will be healthy in our lifetimes.”

Ashley Spotts, CBF’s Lancaster Restoration Biologist, has spent more than two decades working on projects along the Conestoga as well. She specializes in planting riparian buffers, groups of trees along waterways to filter out pollutants.

Spotts issued the following statement:

“I’ve always had a passion for native plants, and I’ve worked 20 years with many farmers and landowners along the Conestoga River and its tributaries to plant trees in an effort to raise water quality. It feels so good to return to a planting years later and see a small forest, with fruiting persimmons and oaks branches weighted down with acorns. Not only will this provide resources for the plants and animals on land, but I know these trees mean healthier water as well.”

CBF, led by Spotts, is planning an event to be held in August, that will bring together landowners, farmers, and partners to launch a watershed improvement plan developed by Gish for the Upper Conestoga watershed. Developing quality plans in priority watershed areas, with support from partners and landowners, is central to CBF’s water improvement work throughout Pennsylvania.

As CBF celebrates forty years of protecting and restoring Pennsylvania’s environment, we want to celebrate all of the hard work of our people, partners, and communities. We are deeply thankful to be able to carry out the work we do, and we look forward to improving the rivers and streams of Pennsylvania together.