Central Susquehanna Riverboat Society

Thank you for your interest in our organization!

 We, the Central Susquehanna Riverboat Society (CSRS), have organized around a vision to launch a riverboat on Lake Augusta, the 3mile expanse of deep water provided each summer by inflating the Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam located in Sunbury. This 3000acre lake located at the confluence of the North and West branches of the Susquehanna River has been a geographical point in history for over 300million years.

 Who we are is group of dedicated volunteers from assorted backgrounds in education, small and corporate business, community engagement and boaters who believe a riverboat here will provide the Greater Susquehanna River Valley with opportunities for economic growth, an appreciation for the value of a region rich in the history of the development of our country, and an understanding of ecological and environmental concerns that will impact the future.  There is of course the bonus of a pleasurable balmy summer evening sliding away from the dock into a blazing sunset as the band plays on! 

Many Central Pennsylvania residents have lost sight of the significance of the Susquehanna River.  Walls keep it contained when swollen but distance the people who have learned to fear it even as it flows within its banks. Local history curriculums do not feature its importance in the region and unless you have a boat, canoe, kayak, or river front property, you don't have access to enjoy or explore it.    

CSRS, has a plan!   By providing a riverboat, we will provide public access to the river.  By partnering with local educators, businesses, historians, musicians, storytellers and river keepers we will also provide access to its history, its value, its natural beauty and its promise.   Our daily cruises featuring lectures and workshops will immerse the public in the wealth of knowledge and history that so many enthusiastic educators and historians are thirsting to share.  Tours of the lake will combine the pleasure of being on the water with a profound experience of what life might have been like when canals were active or logs were waiting to be released.  

In addition, CSRS sees a need for a significant attraction that makes our area a destination point which is critical with the pending completion of the highway bypass. Even now local business is beginning to feel the effects of less traffic.  A Riverboat will pull people into our region. For one thing, we have deep water providing a greater cruising area.  For another, we would become a third boat in a 'trifecta' of riverboats that are within an 86mile range that makes a very doable riverboat tour a weekend getaway!  Our tourism industry could grow substantially!   And not least, having a one-hundred-plus passenger vessel on Lake Augusta will allow anyone the opportunity to enjoy the beauty and fun of the Susquehanna River. 

Your donations will assist in the completion of the riverboat from hull and cabin construction to life jackets.  Everything needed to acquire US Coast Guard approval.  It's a lot!   We have been blessed with over $500,000 in funding from those who see our value in the regional community.  However, there is still a long way and many dollars to go! Your interest and generosity will go a long way in helping us continue hull construction and cover the transportation costs to bring it home to Northumberland from its building site in Delaware.

Thank you! again for taking the time to read about our project. We hope you will choose to support our riverboat dream!