Pawcatuck – Bradford to Potter Hill – July 7, 2019

Putting in at Bradford

I got up early and headed out to scout a RICKA trip on the Pawcatuck River from Bradford to Potter Hill - Rhode Island’s new Wild and Scenic River. Originally, our plan was to paddle downstream to meet the Paddle Across Rhode Island (PARI) crew as they came upstream on a “sea-to source” trip, but with higher water levels they decided to paddle downstream instead. As we were paddling down from Bradford, the PARI crew was paddling down the Chipuxet River and across Worden Pond.  

It has been a while since I had done this trip, so I wanted to check out the take out and parking at Potter Hill. The take out is on the Westerly side of the river just above the Potter Hill Road Bridge at a small Westerly Land Trust property. Parking is available at the Post Office Landing – a DEM boat launch across the street.  It looks like someone’s driveway, but it is a public access point.

Running the Bradford Dam

We meet at Bradford Landing at 10:00 to run the shuttle, and we were on the water around 10:30. The river was at a nice level – 2.5 feet, 125 cfs. on the Wood River Junction gage.   We paddled under the Route 91 Bridge, and pulled over on the right to portage the new fish weirs at the old Bradford Dam.  

The old Bradford Dam was a 19^th century stone and timber structure that provided power to the Bradford textile mills. Built on top of a natural falls, the 6-foot dam spanned the entire width of the river.  Since removing the dam would drop the water level upstream by about 5 feet and negatively impact wetlands, the decision was made to replace the existing dam with the new rock ramp structure.

Polly Coon Footbridge

The new dam is made up of 6 gradually ascending stone weirs, which serve like terraced steps. Pools between the steps give fish a place to rest on their way upstream. Gaps in the weirs create channels for water to flow and fish to swim, including the main current down the middle that forms a nice channel for paddlers. We had about 6 paddlers run the dam, and 2 swims.  

From Bradford to the Route 3 Bridge, the river twists and turns trough the woodlands of the Grills Preserve owned by the Westerly Land Trust and Hopkinton Land Trust. We passed under the Polly Coon Footbridge and continued downstream stopping at the beach off Narragansett Way for lunch. Below the Route 3 Bridge there is more development as the river meanders though open marshland to the Potter Hill Dam.

Lunch at the Beach

Links:

My Pictures

Trip Description from Rhode Island Blueway

Wood River Junction Gage