Pawcatuck - Bradford to Potter Hill - August 29, 2026

Portaging the Bradford Fish Weirs

For the past few years I have been leading a late summer trip on the Pawcatuck River from Bradford to Potter Hill - about 7.5 miles. It is a section of the river that holds its water well, so this is a good time of year to do it. Bill agreed to do the run with me tandem.  

The Pawcatuck River arises at Worden Pond in South Kingstown and flows southwest for 34-miles to Westerly where it flows into Little Narragansett Bay on Long Island Sound. Along with the Beaver, Queen - Usquepaug, Wood, Chipuxet, Shunock and Green Fall - Ashaway, the Pawcatuck received Wild and Scenic River status in 2019.

Below the Bradford Fish Weirs

Perhaps nowhere in Rhode Island has river restoration been more active than on the Pawcatuck River. In 2010, the Lower Shannock Falls Dam was removed and replaced with a short rapid. In 2013, a fish weir was built below the Kenyon Dam. In 2016, the White Rock Dam was removed. In 2017, a fish weir was built below the Bradford Dam. Combined with fish ladders at Potter Hill and Upper Shannock Falls, the removal and modification of these dams has opened up the 34-miles of the Pawcatuck River to migratory fish, and improved paddling on the river considerably.

I scouted out the river on Thursday to check on water levels and access to the portage trail around the Bradford Fish Weirs. The water level was fine - 2-feet 90 cfs on the Wood River Juntion gage. We could have bumped our way down the Bradford Fish Weirs, but I decided to bring the Spirit II and portage. The portage trail was blocked with weeds and tall grass, so I used my paddled to chop open the path, and gave myself a good blister in the process.

Polly Coon Bridge

I met Bill at the commuter lot off Route 117 in Warwick at around 9:15. We arrived at the put-in at Bradford Landing at round 10:00 and the rest of the group was already there. We had 10 paddlers in 9 boats – 2 canoes and 7 kayaks. We ran the shuttle down to the take-out at Potter Hill. Parking is available at Post Office Landing – a DEM boat launch across the street from the take-out that is down a dirt road that looks like someone’s driveway. At least they have put a sign up now.

We got on the water at around 11:00. It is a short trip down to the portage at the fish weirs. We worked together to get everyone's boat down the portage trail and back on the water.  

Take-out at Potter Hill

After the Bradford Fish Weirs, the river twists and turns through conservation land owned by the Westerly Land Trust and Hopkinton Land Trust. We passed under the Polly Coon Footbridge and continued downstream to the beach off Narragansett Way where we stopped for lunch.

Below Route 3 there is more development as the river meanders through marshland formed by the deadwater of the Potter Hill Dam. The take out is on the Westerly side of the river just above the Potter Hill Road Bridge at the Whiteley Preserve - a Westerly Land Trust property. We loaded up our boats and Bob was nice enough to get Sharon, Bill and I back to Bradford to pick up out cars.

Me and Bill in the Spirit II

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My Pictures
Wood River Junction Gage