Hulton VanTassel’s organization nominates Monongahela River as PA River of the Year

Three Rivers Waterkeeper, with Switzer Fellows Heather Hulton VanTassel as its Executive Director, nominated the Monongahela River (the Mon) for Pennsylvania's River of the Year. If they win, they will receive $10,000 for holding events to celebrate the Mon. The public can vote for a favorite Pennsylvania waterway until 5:00 PM EST Friday, January 14, 2022. More information and voting is available here.   The Monongahela River forms at the junction of Tygart Valley River and West Fork Rivers in Marion County, WV. The river flows northward towards Pittsburgh for a total of 128.7 miles. In Pittsburgh, it joins with the Allegheny River to eventually form the Ohio River. The Monongahela River is one of a few major rivers in North America that flow from south to north, instead of north to south. Thanks to the locks and dams being operated by the US Army Corp of Engineers, the Monongahela River became the first river in the United States with complete navigational control. Many people use it for boating, recreation, and fishing. Nevertheless, the Monongahela faces many obstacles, with mixed uses from agriculture to industrial sites, creating high levels of zinc and chromium in the waterways, impacting the health of people and wildlife. The Monongahela is often overlooked in conservation with many environmental injustices along the way. Hulton VanTassel hopes to celebrate the Mon and shed positive light on its critical resources.