Canoe-a-thon Safety Plan

The Lackawanna River Corridor Association (LRCA), a non profit, tax-exempt Pennsylvania Corporation conducts an annual canoe and kayak event on the Lackawanna River during early May. The event known as the Lackawanna River Canoe-a-thon is conducted as a timed athletic event and/or as a recreational paddle at the discretion of the individual participants. Each participant is numbered, timed and tracked by event staff.

The course is run from two launch sites to a common finish site. The Laurel Park, Archbald launch site offers a 14-mile course, the first four miles of which have Class II white water features. There are six classes of white water recognized by the American Canoe Association and other paddle sport organizations, from Class I riffles, to Class VI vertical drops. Class I riffles are easily navigable by novices. Class II riffles and ledges are navigable by paddlers with minimum skills. The Blakely launch site offers a 10-mile course with Class I riffles and longer flat water reaches.

The finish line is located at the Olive street bridge in Scranton, near the Ice Box Arena.

The prevalent river flow conditions and weather conditions on the morning of the event are primary factors utilized by LRCA in deciding to commence the event. If conditions are too shallow (less than 2.0 feet at the Archbald USGS gaging station), or too deep (greater than 4.0 feet), the event is canceled or postponed. The event is run with light rain or drizzle; heavy soaking rain will cause a postponement.

Prior to the commencement of launching at 10:00 am all participants are given a course condition and canoe safety briefing. LRCA encourages novices to launch at Blakely, rather than Archbald.

No alcoholic beverages are allowed in the event. LRCA will disqualify anyone consuming alcohol from participating.

Participants are offered a choice of using their own canoes and / or kayaks or renting a canoe from a livery service through advance registration with LRCA.

Personal flotation vests are required to be worn by all participants at all times during the event.

Canoeists are launched in heats of ten (10) canoes each, at five minute intervals beginning at 10:00 am at each launch site.

Launching is usually completed by 10:45 am.

The event is conducted with continuous coordination through the Lackawanna County emergency communications center (911) with emergency response units deployed along the riverbanks at strategic locations or traditional trouble spots along the first six miles.

Emergency response units are deployed on bridges along the balance of the course and at the finish line in Scranton.

LRCA event staff is tied to the 911 emergency response system through cell phones and two-way radios. The professional and volunteer emergency response teams are augmented by LRCA event volunteers and spotters who deploy along the river to monitor the progress of the event and are available to transport canoeists who elect not to finish the event, and their canoes to the finish line.

LRCA staff also patrol the event from the river. Sweeper canoes are launched last from each launch site to ensure that any canoes or canoeists still on the river are required to move toward the finish line in a timely manner or withdraw from the event at a bridge crossing or other landing site where they can be transported by LRCA spotters or make their own arrangements.

All canoeists are encouraged to complete the course by 2:30 pm.

Sweeper canoes clear each bridge and communicate with LRCA staff and emergency responders that the previous upstream river reaches are clean of event participants. This process continues until the sweepers arrive at the finish line and verify with race officials that entire course is clear of event participants. This information is then relayed to the 911 system.

An emergency response unit remains at the finish line until the official conclusion of the event at 4:00 pm.