Burgeoning development in the Perkiomen Creek valley has made the quiet waterway a destination in recent years, and now it’s in the running for the 2017 Pennsylvania River of the Year honor.

Public voting will determine the winner between now and 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19. Perkiomen Creek is up against the Allegheny River (Middle & Upper), Brandywine River and Loyalhanna Creek.

“There is a spirit of good-natured competition surrounding this selection process that rallies community support around our deserving waterways and puts them in the public limelight,” Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. “These nominated rivers and streams showcase so many unique natural resources, recreational opportunities and incentives boosting local economies. They also show just how blessed this state is with its wealth of major rivers and streams, and committed folks willing to support them.”

Supporters of Perkiomen Creek are fending off threats from storm runoff erosion, agricultural nutrient loading and residential riparian buffer destruction to protect its “secluded course that still offers feelings of isolation where a personal connection with nature might be gained.”

The competition is in its seventh year, organized by the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers and funded by the DCNR.

Vote for Perkiomen Creek as the 2017 Pennsylvania River of the Year here.