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| Sign at the Broad Street Bridge |
Much like the Blackstone, the
Pawtuxet is a fascinating river that doesn’t seem to get a lot of
attention. Maybe it is because it
runs along two major highways (Route 37 and Route I-95) through one of the most
congested parts of the state. Maybe
it is because of the dams that can make paddling this river a challenge. Maybe it is because of water
quality issues - at least in the lower reaches of the river. Whatever the reason, even I have been guilty of ignoring
this hidden gem. That changed
yesterday when I paddled the Lower Pawtuxet with Jeff and Eric.
We decided to paddle the
section from the Pontiac Canoe Launch at the Howard Conservation Area on Knight
Street to Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in the Pawtuxet Village. Pawtuxet Village was established
in 1638 – just two years after Roger Williams founded Providence. Settlers were attracted to this location
for it’s sheltered harbor and for the waterpower available from the Pawtuxet
Falls. The Native American term
"pawtuxet" means "little falls".
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| Rhodes on the Pawtuxet at the put-in |
The Pawtuxet River is formed by the
confluence of North and South branches of the Pawtuxet, which merge in West
Warwick. From there it then runs
approximately 12 miles until it empties into Narragansett Bay at the Pawtuxet
Cove. The last three miles of the
river form the boundary between Cranston and Warwick. Access on the river has
improved dramatically in recent years thanks to the great work of the Pawtuxet River Authority and Watershed Council.
We put in at the Pontiac Canoe
Launch and paddled upstream to the old Pontiac Mill complex. At one time, this
mill was owned Robert and Benjamin Knight who operated under the brand name
“Fruit of the Loom”. During the
Civil War it was used to manufacture uniforms for Union soldiers. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln
visited the site to dedicate a new addition. Like many old mills, it has now fallen into disrepair. The river was low – 3.8 feet, 140 cfs on the Cranston gage – but Jeff and I took advantage of the opportunity to do a
little surfing below the Pontiac Mill Dam.
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| Pontiac Mill Complex |
As we headed downstream, the river
follows Route I-95 for much of it course.
In spite of the traffic noise, this is a pretty section of river. The banks are lined with trees, and
wildlife is abundant. On
this trip we saw 5 deer, including a 6-point buck. Birds were also plentiful including an owl, a falcon, and
lots of ducks, geese and herons.
Evidence of the massive flood of
2010 is also evident along this section of the river. On March 31, 2010, the
Pawtuxet River crested at 21 feet (11 feet over flood stage) causing the worst
flooding in over 200 years.
Sections of Route I-95 were closed, and the Warwick Mall and many nearby
home were inundated. On the river, downed trees and large piles of debris are
evidence of the power of this massive flood.
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| Broad Street Bridge |
As we approached the take-out at
Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, we decided to continue downstream to the Broad Street
Bridge and the site of the old Pawtuxet Falls Dam. In the summer of 2011, the old Pawtuxet Falls Dam was
demolished in one of the largest dam removal projects in the state. The removal of the dam restored seven miles of free-flowing
river habitat to one of Narragansett Bay’s largest tributaries. It is hoped
that this will allow the restoration of native migratory fish to the river such
as river herring and American shad.
Herring and shad are important part of the ecosystem, providing food for
bluefish, striped bass, largemouth bass, herons, ospreys and many other
predators—even harbor seals, which winter in the Bay.
Unfortunately,
it was low tide when we arrived at the falls, and without cold-water gear, none
of us felt comfortable running the 3-foot drop below the Broad Street Bridge. Instead, we decided to head back to the
take-out, and enjoy lunch at one of the near by restaurants in the village. Still,
it was a great trip, and in the immortal words of Arnold Schwarzenegger – I’ll be back!
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| Surfing at the Pontiac Mills |
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