On Aug. 23, PEC joined a paddling sojourn on the Allegheny River with local and state officials to show our support for an initiative to promote recreational use of the popular waterway.
The paddle and lock-through event was hosted by Friends of the Riverfront (FOR), Three Rivers Waterkeeper, Port of Pittsburgh Commission, the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC).
The event featured several speakers, including Sen. Lindsey Williams, (38th district), Rep. Mandy Steele (33rd district), SPC Executive Director Rich Fitzgerald, Port of Pitt’s Public Relations Manager Matt Pavlosky, and Friends’ Executive Director Kelsey Ripper.
“It’s really a testament to how important these rivers are and how we need to invest in their future,” Ripper said.
A group of about 50 people paddled kayaks and canoes from Springdale borough to Harmar Township, including a descent down the C.W. Bill Young Lock (Lock 3). Safety officials in motorized boats stayed nearby.
“I think for probably 90 percent of the people out there today, this was their first time in a lock,” Ripper said. “I think they all realized that it’s not as nerve-wracking or scary as you might think it is.”
The Allegheny River has a legacy of commercial and industrial significance, but the group float showcased how communities are reconnecting to the waterway following decades of cleanup work.
“We were always told to stay away from the rivers by our mothers and fathers,” said former SPC Executive Director Rich Fitzgerald. Nowadays, the river is popular for boating, waterskiing, kayaking, and other recreational activities.
The Allegheny River was voted the 2024 River of the Year, in large part for the improvements in public access. However, a decrease in commercial activity over the years has led to a drop in funding for infrastructure repairs and maintenance of the region’s locks.
“The locks on the Allegheny River see an average of about four million tons of activity per year, far lower than those on the Ohio and Monongahela,” according to the press release. That lack of traffic could lead the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers, which oversees the locks, to cut back operating hours.
“A reduction in lock operation could mean watercraft might have to wait a significant amount of time to move between pools on the Allegheny River,” the release said.
To prevent that from happening, SPC, Port of Pitt, FOR, the Allegheny Regional Development Corporation and other community-based organizations have formed the Save the Allegheny River (STAR) initiative. They are working with federal legislators to find a solution to maintain access to the region’s waterways.
“Protecting the Allegheny River is one of the most important pursuits today. This river is the key to economic opportunity for our river towns in the Valley, and today was a valuable opportunity to see what is at stake, and why we must all work together to ensure that the Save the Allegheny Initiative is successful,” PA Rep. Mandy Steele said in the release.