French Creek faces uphill climb -- or paddle -- to be named River of the Year

Dec. 6—French Creek is in for a battle and a cursory look at the tale of the tape suggests it will be one-sided — hopeless at best, embarrassing at worst.

But like David squaring up against Goliath, the home of the hellbender has supporters who see cause for optimism. It may feel like one in a million, those supporters suggest, but there's a chance.

The contest in question is not single combat like that fought by the biblical hero, but waterway warfare featuring four of the state's best-loved natural resources.

A week ago, French Creek was selected as one of four nominees for 2022 Pennsylvania River of the Year. Also nominated were Catawissa Creek, a Susquehanna River tributary located southeast of Bloomsburg, and Connoquenessing Creek, which flows past Butler and then into Beaver River.

Playing the role of Goliath in the contest, complete with a nickname reminiscent of professional wrestling, is the Monongahela River, the Mighty Mon, which is not only longer and deeper with a more voluminous streamflow winding through areas filled with many times more people than are found near any of the other nominees — but it also flows north.

While not as rare as many Pittsburgh-area residents tend to believe, the movement from south to north is one more distinctive quality that sets the Mon apart from French Creek and the other competitors — the other creeks in the running for river of the year.

Brenda Costa is among those saying French Creek has a chance to play the role of David defeating Goliath. As executive director of the French Creek Valley Conservancy (FCVC), Costa led the application process that resulted in French Creek's nomination and the FCVC will organize a full calendar of events if the creek's campaign succeeds.

"I think we do" have a chance, Costa said last week. "I'm not willing to be discouraged just because we're up against the Mon."

The contest winner will be determined by online voting, which started Nov. 29. The population of the areas in and around Pittsburgh where the Mon meets the Allegheny River to form the Ohio River is significantly higher than any areas drained by French Creek, giving the river an advantage that could be insurmountable.

The key for a French Creek victory, Costa said, will be seeking support from people outside the Crawford County area who have a connection to the county's largest river.

"It's an uphill battle for us," she acknowledged. "Any friends you have elsewhere in the world — distant cousins, college friends — it's important to get votes from all over to overcome the lack of population."

And it's worth the effort, according to Costa.

Not only does the nominating organization receive $10,000 to be used in conjunction with River of the Year activities, but the consciousness-raising effect of the distinction can be worth far more.

Costa said the funds would help the conservancy expand an already busy slate of activities. Added events would likely include a paddling opportunity. Interest has also been growing in a French Creek snorkeling event, she said.

A win for the river that stretches 117 miles from near French Creek, New York, to Franklin, where it meets the Allegheny River, would also coincide with the 40th anniversary of the French Creek Valley Conservancy. The nonprofit is dedicated to maintaining the biological diversity and recreational opportunities of the river's watershed.

In fact, French Creek's ecological diversity ranks near the top of all waterways east of the Mississippi River, according to Andy Walker, who serves as president of the board that oversees the conservancy.

"We do think we have some distinct selling points over our competitors," Walker said.

Not every river, Walker noted, can claim such distinguished lineage. George Washington, the father of our nation, was also in a sense the father of French Creek: that's how he referred to the river in the journal he kept during a 1753 trip to Fort LeBoeuf. The journal was later published, and the name stuck.

Nearly 270 years later, schoolchildren are exploring the same watershed as part of the Creek Connections program operated by Allegheny College. In fact, Project Director Wendy Kedzierski pointed out, program participants work near three of the rivers nominated this year.

Despite those ties, Kedzierski did not have any trouble deciding to cast her River of the Year vote for French Creek. It's the river she's most strongly connected to, she said. Like Walker, she's also on the FCVC board. The river is close to home and it's where she spends as much time as possible kayaking and pursuing other forms of recreation.

But in the fight against the Monongahela, there could be an even stronger selling point. Everyone loves an underdog and if the biblical story of the ultimate underdog were retold in amphibian form, there could be only one choice for the role of David.

"People should vote for French Creek because it's the only one with hellbenders," Kedzierski said. "You can't beat a hellbender."

Mike Crowley can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at mcrowley@meadvilletribune.com.

You can vote

Voting for Pennsylvania's 2022 River of theYear is open through 5 p.m. Jan. 14 at pawatersheds.org/vote-for-a-2022-river-of-the-year. Voting is limited to one vote per email address, but voters can submit more than one vote if they have multiple email addresses. Votes can also be submitted through the Facebook page of the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers. In addition to French Creek, nominees include Catawissa Creek, Connoquenessing Creek and the Monongahela River. The nominating organization for the winning river will receive a state grant of $10,000 to fund River of the Year activities.