To the Editor,

Upon my initial read of The Pitt News article about the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and River’s “River of the Year” contest, I was insulted by the characterization of the Lackawanna River in Northeastern Pennsylvania. With a second read, I realized that you were only comparing the Monongahela to the Schuylkill River.

Did you deem the Lackawanna River not worth a second mention?

As a Pitt student back in the early ’80s, I observed the movement to improve the health of the Monongahela River to make it a destination. After years of seeing their city become polluted, primarily by the steel industry, the citizens of Pittsburgh began taking their watercraft into the rivers and enjoying parkland riverbanks. I recall participating in a River Regatta at Point State Park in a vessel buoyed by empty beer kegs strapped together by fellow employees of a local restaurant.

I also lived in the Philadelphia area for 10 years. The Schuylkill River is also great, meandering through the suburbs, passing its spectacular Boathouse Row and the Philadelphia Art Museum, coursing through the city before emptying into the Delaware River.

The Monongahela and Schuylkill are already great.

So now it’s time for another river to have its renaissance — the Lackawanna River.

Please vote for the Lackawanna! Progress is being made for this river, which, in the not-so-distant past, was considered a place to dump trash, discharge mine drainage and collect sewage.

The Lackawanna River is now fish-able, swim-able, hike-able and kayak-able.

The Lackawanna River deserves to win this award; the prize money will be put to good use. The Lackawanna can and will attain the same class as the aforementioned rivers.

Anita Forry Lohin

Pitt ’82

President, Lackawanna River Corridor Association