Pawtuxet River

The Pawtuxet River is a river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 18 km (11 mi) and drains a watershed of convert|231.6|sqmi|km2. There are four dams along the river's length. [http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/benviron/compinsp/pdf/damrep01.pdf Governor's Task Force on Dam Safety and Maintenance – Final Report, January 2001] ]

Course

The Pawtuxet River Valley played an important role in the early development of the textile industry in New England during the 19th century.

The river is formed by the confluence of North and South branches of the river at River Point village in West Warwick. From the park, the river continues roughly east, through West Warwick, Warwick and Cranston, emptying into the Providence River at Pawtuxet Village. The last three miles (5 km) of the river form the boundary between Cranston and Warwick.

Crossings

Below is a list of all crossings over the Pawtuxet River. The list starts at the headwaters and goes downstream.
*West Warwick
**Providence Street (RI 33)
*Warwick
**East Avenue
**Bald Hill Road (RI 2)
**Interstate 295
**Greenwich Avenue (RI 5)
**Rhode Island State Route 37
**Interstate 95
**Elmwood Avenue (U.S. 1)
**Warwick Avenue (U.S. 1A/RI 117)
**Post Road

Tributaries

Three Ponds Brook and the Pocasset River are the Pawtuxet River's only named tributaries, though it has many unnamed streams that also feed it.

Water Quality

The Pawtuxet River is impacted by cadmium, mercury, pathogens, low dissolved oxygen and nutrients. It shows biodiversity impacts ( [http://www.dem.ri.gov/pubs/303d/index.htm Rhode Island 2006 List of Impaired Waters] ). The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management [http://www.dem.ri.gov/] has issued new discharge permits to the three major municipal wastewater treatment plants that discharge to the River (West Warwick, Rhode Island, Warwick, Rhode Island and Cranston, Rhode Island). These plants are major contributors of nutrients to the river.

Habitat Restoration

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management's [http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/pdf/riap2002.pdf Rhode Island Anadromous Fish Restoration Plan] gives the Pawtuxet River a low overall ranking due to the river's poor water quality and the large number of dams. However, the Pawtuxet River Authority and Watershed Council [http://pawtuxet.org/projects.html] is working with sate and federal partners to evaluate fish passage alternatives for the first dam on the Pawtuxet, the Pawtuxet Falls Dam. Fish passage at this dam will open up convert|7.5|mi|km of spawning habitat above the dam on the main stem of the river.

Water Use and Availability

The Scituate Reservoir on the North Branch of the Pawtuxet River provides over 60 % of the water supply to the State of Rhode Island ( [http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2006/5154/ USGS, Estimated Water Use and Availability in the Pawtuxet and Quinebaug River Basins, Rhode Island] ). This water is supplied to almost all the other basins in Rhode Island including the Blackstone River, Moshassuck River, Woonasquatucket River, Narragansett Bay and the Westport River. About 22 % of the major public supply withdrawn from the Pawtuxet basin is returned to the basin and about 51 % is exported to other basins. Some of the water exported out of the basin for drinking water returns to the Pawtuxet River as wastewater.

Flow

The [http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ri/nwis/current/?type=flow US Geological Survey has five gauges in the Pawtuxet Watershed]
* [http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ri/nwis/uv/?site_no=01115187&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060 PONAGANSET RIVER AT SOUTH FOSTER, RI]
* [http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ri/nwis/uv/?site_no=01115630&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060 NOOSENECK RIVER AT NOOSENECK, RI ]
* [http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ri/nwis/uv/?site_no=01115770&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060 CARR RIVER NEAR NOOSENECK, RI ]
* [http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ri/nwis/uv/?site_no=01116000&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060 SOUTH BRANCH PAWTUXET RIVER AT WASHINGTON, RI]
* [http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ri/nwis/uv/?site_no=01116500&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060 PAWTUXET RIVER AT CRANSTON, RI]

The Pawtuxet River experiences periodic flooding. In October 2005 remnants of Tropical Storm Tammy produced torrential rains over New England. From October 13 - 15, the National Weather Service reported 7 to convert|9|in|mm of rain in Rhode Island and the Pawtuxet River at Cranston and Warwick recorded its second worst flood, cresting at a stage of convert|13.68|ft|m.

Grassroots Organizations

There are two river organizations that focus on the Pawtuxet River:
*The Pawtuxet River Authority and Watershed Council [http://pawtuxet.org/about.html]
*Friends of the Pawtuxet [http://www.friendsofthepawtuxet.org/]

ee also

*List of rivers in Rhode Island
*North Branch Pawtuxet River
*Pocasset River
*Providence River
*South Branch Pawtuxet River

External links

* [http://www.pawtuxetcove.com Pawtuxet Village]
* [http://newenglandtowns.org/rhode-island/pawtuxet-river New England Towns]

References

*Maps from the United States Geological Survey