Pawcatuck River Overnight/Bastille Day Campout - June 27-28, 2026

Heading out from Bradford

I was up early yesterday to finish packing for the Pawcatuck River Overnight/Bastille Day Campout at the Burlingame Canoe Campsites on the Pawcatuck River.

Back in the old days, RICKA held an annual summer camping trip – the Bastille Day Campout. Bastille Day is a national holiday in France that celebrates the Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. Why Bastille Day was chosen as a theme for a RICKA camping trip has been lost to history. The connection to summer is obvious, and maybe it was a simple as that.

Camp is set up

The event was originally held on Dutch Island. When the DEM prohibited camping on Dutch Island in 1991, it moved to the Burlingame Canoe Campsites on the Pawcatuck. It was celebrated with an assortment of French and French-Canadian delicacies – mostly wine and beer.

Reviving this RICKA tradition seemed like a worthy challenge, so for the past few years we have been organizing a summer overnight trip at the Burlingame Canoe Campsites. This year, we met at the Bradford Landing at 12:30 p.m. to load up our boats. The group included Bill, JD, Chuck, Cindy, Roberta, Jose, Danny, Tim, Terrie, Jay and me. It would be the first camping trip with my new Mad River Explorer - it paddled great and carried a ton of gear.

Sausages for dinner

The forecast called for a slight chance of showers in the afternoon, but otherwise warm. When we arrived at Burlingame we found that the site in the woods was occupied, but the field was empty. We unloaded our gear and set up camp in the field. There were a few sprinkles of rain as we sat around enjoying appetizers. We started the dinner fire, then cooled off taking turns on the rope swing as the fire burned down to coals for cooking.

As always, the food was plentiful. We had hummus with flat bread and fruit salad as appetizers; Cesar salad, lasagna, salmon mac and cheese, sausage and peppers, hot dogs and Italian bread for dinner; and apple crisp, carrot cake and chocolate macaroons for desert. After dinner, we settled in around the campfire for a night of tall-tales and war-stories. I finally turned in at around 10:00 p.m. Our neighbors were hooting and hollering until around 1:00 a.m.

Bill and me in the Explorer 17

Before I knew it, morning light was streaming through my tent. I got up around 6:00 a.m. to start the fire and get the coffee perking. Terrie was already up, and Danny was up shortly after. I fired up my Dutch oven to make a batch of cinnamon rolls and Terrie grilled some brown bread. For breakfast we had egg-in-a-hole, home fries, bacon and cantalope. No one ever goes hungry on these trips. We didn't even try to be quiet. Hopefully were were loud enough to wake up our hung-over neighbors - just to return the favor.

After breakfast we packed-up for the trip back to Bradford. I was on the road by 11:00 a.m. and I was home by 12:00 p.m. We will definitely put the Bastille Day Campout on the RICKA calendar again next year.

The crew at the take-out at Bradford

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Pawcatuck River Overnight - April 18-19, 2026

Chuck running the Richmond Dam

There were a few different options for this weekend. I could have headed out to the Knightville section of the Westfield for the annual release, but my knee was still sore. I also could have joined Jonathan for his annual trip on the South Branch of the Pcat, but it seemed like it would be pretty low – poling level. Instead, I decided to do an overnight trip on the Pawcatuck.

Jim organized this trip for members of the Mid-Atlantic, New England, And Northeast Canoe Fanatics Facebook group. We would be putting in at John (Jay) Cronin River Access in Richmond, camping at the boot-leg site at the confluence of the Wood River, and taking out at Bradford. The river was at a nice level – 300 cfs, 3-feet on the Wood River Junction gage.

Home for the night

It was drizzling as I drove down I-95, but it had stopped by the time I reached the put-in. We had six boats camping and two doing the run from Richmond to Bradford on Saturday. The forecast for rain on Sunday may have scared-off a few folks. We unloaded our gear, ran the shuttle and then headed downstream.

Chuck started us off by running the dam at the put-in. Even with a loaded boat he made it look easy. From there down to the campsite the river is narrow and we had to maneuver around numerous blow-downs. Chuck, Jim and Aaron had scouted it out a few weeks ago and cleared out a few strainers, so we were able to paddle through without too much difficulty.

Cinnamon rolls for breakfast

We arrived at the at the boot-leg site at around noon. This is a pretty site with lots of pine trees. Unfortunately, there was a fire in the area several years ago. Between the fire damage and strong winds, there are not lots of trees down around the site. Not as pretty as it was, but very easy to find firewood.

We got to work unloading our gear and setting up camp. Chuck brought Dynamite for lunch – good stuff. Eventually we got the evening fire going and cooked supper. For me it was steak and home-fried potatoes. I also cooked apple crisp in the Dutch oven for dessert. I lasted around the fire until around 10:00, and then called it a night.

Heading out on Sunday morning

I finally rolled out of the tent at around 6:00 on Sunday. I got the coffee going and started cooking cinnamon rolls in the Dutch oven for breakfast. Jim was up shortly after and got the fire going, and Terry grilled up some brown bread. After a carb-heavy breakfast, we got to work breaking camp and loading the boats.

By 8:30, we were on our way downstream in a light drizzle. This section of the river is bigger with the increased flow from the Wood River. We all ran the broken dam at Burdickville on the right, and made it through fine. From there, it is an easy paddle down to Bradford.

The crew - Jim, Ken, Cjuck, Peter, Terry, Erik and JD

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Wood River Junction Gage

The camping trip that wasn't to be - January 3, 2026

Getting ready to launch

How many days with temps in the teens does it take to freeze a river? Based on this weekend’s experience, the answer is three.

For the past couple of years (2023, 2024), we have been doing a winter overnight trip at the Burlingame Canoe Campsites. It’s been a lot of fun, and this year we had nine joining in, with one coming from as far away as NY.

In past years, the temperatures have mild (days in the 30’s to 40's, nights in the 20’s to 30's), but this year we were having a cold snap. Day time highs were in the 20's, and night time lows were in the teens. Average temperatures had been in the 20’s for a couple of weeks, which is unusual for RI. We did ask JD to check the river for ice on Wednesday, and he reported that the put in was ice-free. It's tough to see much else from the river bank.

The river is iced in

When we arrived at Bradford Landing on Saturday morning the put in was open, but it was solid ice down to the Bradford Dam. There was an open channel upstream so we loaded our boats and headed out. We didn’t get far. We paddled upstream a couple of hundred yards and found the river frozen solid – a good half-inch of ice for as far as you could see. No way we were getting through that.

We paddled back to the put in to try to figure out our options. Was there a different section of the river that wouldn’t be iced-in - nope. Was there a campground or picnic area nearby that wasn’t closed for the season – nope. Unfortunately, we were out of luck. Best we could do was a picture at Alton Landing and lunch at a nearby restaurant – Cornerstone Pub in Exeter.  

The crew at Alton Landing

Getting skunked earned me a new poem from Tom.

From a Burlingame to a curling game,

canoes might glide on ice,

but getting swept away

paddles not brooms in play,

pack-it-in's the hully roller's advice.

(On the rocks at the Cornerstone plays nice)

TW

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River Church - Alton to Bradford - February 23, 2025

Below the Alton Dam

After a long cold snap, the forecast was for warming weather on Sunday. We put-out the word, and got a group together for a trip down the Wood-Pawcatuck from Alton to Bradford – three boats, four paddlers, all canoes. It would be like "River Church".

The Wood-Pawcatuck watershed is one of the prettiest in RI. In 2019 it became part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System – the only river in RI to receive this prestigious designation. Included in the Wood-Pawcatuck designation are sections of seven rivers including the Beaver, Chipuxet, Green Fall-Ashaway, Pawcatuck, Queen - Usquepaugh, Shunock, and Wood.

Heading down the Wood River

We would be putting-in on the Wood River in Alton and paddling down the Pawcatuck River to Bradford. The Wood River arises near Sterling, CT and flows south for 25-miles to merge with the Pawcatuck River below Alton. There are two other sections of the Wood River that are popular with paddlers – the upper Wood River from Route 165 in Exeter to the Wyoming Dam with a portage at the Barberville Dam, and the lower Wood River from Switch Road to Alton with a portage at the Woodville Dam.

We met at the Alton Dam at 10:00 to unload our boats and run the shuttle down to Bradford. The river was at a nice level – 200 cfs, 2.75-feet on the Wood River Junction gage. We were concerned about ice on the river, but last weekend’s rain and snowmelt raised the river about a foot and cleared out any ice. The short section of the Wood River downstream of the Alton Dam twists and turns through a pretty forest. There were a couple of blow-downs to paddle around, but we made it through fine.

On to the Pawcatuck River

There are some differences of opinion on the name of river above the convergence with the Wood. Many guidebooks refer to Worden Pond as the source of the Pawcatuck River. In other guidebooks, the outflow from Worden Pond is a continuation of the Chipuxet River, which becomes the Charles River when it merges with the Queen - Usquepaugh just above Biscuit City, and becomes the Pawcatuck when it merges with the Wood River.

Whatever it is called, from its source at Worden Pond the river twists and turns for 34-miles to Westerly where it flows into Little Narragansett Bay. Some of the best paddling in RI is along the Pawcatuck including Great Swamp from Taylor's Landing to Biscuit City Landing, Shannock to Richmond, Richmond to Bradford, Bradford to Potter Hill, and Potter Hill to Westerly.

Running the broken dam
at Burdickville

Perhaps nowhere in Rhode Island has dam removal and river restoration been more active than along the Pawcatuck River. In 2010, the Lower Shannock Falls Dam was removed and replaced with a short rapid. In 2013, the Kenon Dam was replaced with fish weirs. In 2016, the White Rock Dam was removed and the riverbed restored. In 2017, the Bradford Dam was also replaced with fish weirs. 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, reduced portages, and created some fun rapids.

We took a quick break to check out the "boot-leg" site located at the convergence of the Wood and Pawcatuck Rivers. We are fortunate to have a several very nice campsites on the Pawcatuck including Stoney Point on Worden Pond, the Carolina Canoe Campsite just upstream from the Richmond Landing, this "bootleg" site at the confluence of the Wood River downstream from Alton Landing, and of course, the Burlingame Canoe Campsites upstream from Bradford Landing in the Burlingame Management Area.

Enjoying the fire at the
Burlingame Canoe Campsites

The Burlingame Wildlife Management Area extends north from Watchaug Pond in the Burlingame State Park to include a large woodland along the Pawcatuck River. The land is managed for both wildlife protection and recreation with hunting, trails for hikers and mountain bikers, and the Burlingame Canoe Campsites. These campsites are accessible from the river or by hiking in from the parking lot on Buckeye Brook Road or from the North South Trailhead on Burdickville Road.

The river opened up and was flowing well as we continued downstream. About a mile downstream is the broken dam at Brudickville. The dam can be portaged on the left, or run on the right. There was plenty of water flowing over the dam, so we decided to run it on the right. Everyone made it through fine. From there it is a short paddle down to the Burlingame Canoe Campsites where we stopped for lunch.

Heading down to Bradford

At the Burlingame Canoe Campsites there is an open field and five wooded sites. We hauled our gear up to the field and got a fire going in the large fire pit. We didn’t have time to cook on the fire, but we brought chairs to sit around the fire and backpacking stoves to heat up a hot meal. As one of our group said, “every trip is better if you can sit around the fire”.

From there, it is a short paddle down to Bradford Landing. We packed up our gear and sad our good-byes after another great trip.

The crew - Jeff, Chuck, Bill and Erik

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Wood River Junction Gage

Third Swim of the Year – Pawcatuck River – Bradford to Potter Hill - June 23, 2024

Bradford Fish Weirs

It rained as I drove down, but we ended up with a nice day for our trip on the Pawcatuck River. The last time that we did this trip was in 2020 during COVID, and back then we did a bike shuttle. No need for that this year.

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. We would be paddling the section from Bradford to Potter Hill – about 8-miles.

Polly Coon Footbridge

I met Bill, Paul, Bob, Aaron and Mike at the put-in at the Bradford Landing. We dropped off our boats and headed 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.

With all the rain over the past few days the river was at a nice level – 3-feet, 200 cfs on the Wood River Junction gage. We put in and headed down to run the Bradford Fish Weirs – a series of six gradually ascending stone steps that replaced the old Bradford Dam. Paul went first and ran the fish weirs clean. Bill and I went next. We hit a rock in the 4th weir, and over we went – 3rd swim of the year for me. Bob ran it last and made it through fine.

Marshland above the Potter Hill Dam

After the 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 I drove Bill and Paul back to Bradford to pick up their cars. I forgot to bring my camera, but Mike got some great pictures and video.


Bradford Fish Weirs from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

We did earn another poem from Tom.

Bill seemed to hem and haw.

His stirring starboard would get them yawl.

Erik bowed to Bill’s stern grace.

Damp Bradford weirs on them in place.

TW

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Wood River Junction Gage

Burlingame Overnight - May 28-29, 2022

Heading out

Our second attempt at an Allagash trip got canceled due to family obligations and COVID-19. In its place, Bill and I decided to do an overnight at the Burlingame Canoe Campsites. We posted it on the RICKA message board, and Danny joined us as well.

The Burlingame Canoe Campsites are part of the Burlingame Management Area upstream from the Bradford Landing. There are six sites including an open field suitable for groups, and five smaller wooded sites. All the sites are available on a first come first serve basis, and can get crowded in the warm summer months.

Time to unload

One of the challenges of canoe/kayak camping is that everything that you bring needs to fit in your boat. While you can carry more in a canoe or kayak than you can in a backpack, space is still limited, and drybags are needed to keep your gear dry. Once I packed up all my gear, I realized that I had more than I could fit in my solo boat. Fortunately, Danny has a collection of tripping canoes and likes to paddle tandem. He agreed to bring an 18-foot Old Town Voyager with more than enough room for our gear.

The forecast was for rain on Saturday, but sunny and warm on Sunday. It was drizzling as I drove down I-95, but it stopped by the time I reached Bradford Landing. We loaded the boats and headed out. As we headed upstream the clouds started to clear and we even saw some patches of blue sky.

Veggies for dinner

All of the sites were empty when we arrived at Burlingame. We scouted out the field, but decided to take the first wooded site downstream. We hauled our gear up the steep hill from the river and began to set up camp. The first thing up was the rain fly – fortunately we never needed it – followed by the tents/hammock. With Danny’s big boat we were able to bring enough firewood so that we didn’t need to forage.

As we set up camp, a couple of hikers passed by and took the site next door. Trails lead into these sites from the parking lot on Buckeye Brook Road and from the North South Trailhead on Burdickville Road. They were quiet neighbors.

Enjoying the fire

After setting up camp we took a break to enjoy cocktails and appetizers before cooking dinner. Dinner was Jonathan’s fried fish with rice and veggies. A few clouds rolled in around dinner time, and we heard rumbles of thunder to the north, but we never got any rain. After dinner we settled in around the fire for cherry pie, watermelon and a relaxing evening. By the time we went to bed the sky was clear and full of stars.

I awoke around 4:00 to the sound of Bill yelling at a whip-poor-will singing in a nearby tree. I have to admit, it was loud, but Bill was louder. I fell back asleep and woke up again around 6:00 when I heard Danny up making coffee. I decided it was time to get up and get the coffee pot going myself.

Loaded for the trip back

Bill was up shortly after and we got the fire going and started cooking breakfast – omelets, home fries, sausage and English muffins. Most was cooked on the stove, but the sausage was cooked and the muffins were toasted on the fire by Danny. It was a beautiful morning, so we took our time enjoying breakfast and coffee around the fire.

After breakfast we packed up camp for the trip back to Bradford. The weather was beautiful – bright blue sky, a few puffy clouds and no wind. It was a leisurely paddle back to Bradford Landing. Once there, we packed up the cars and said our goodbyes after another great tip.

A pretty section of the Pawcatuck River

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Burlingame Canoe Campsites from Rhode Island Blueways
Bradford Landing from Rhode Island Blueways

Wood/Pawcatuck - Alton to Bradford - August 15, 2021

Running the broken dam at Burdickville

No trips on the calendar this weekend, so I posted a trip on the RICKA flatwater message board for the Wood/Pawcatuck from Alton to Bradford. Three canoes, two kayaks, and beautiful morning to be out on the water. The river was at 2.2 feet, 75 cfs on the Wood River Junction gauge, which made for a nice run through the broken dam at Burdickville. Also had fun swinging on the rope swing at the Burlingame campsites.

Below the broken dam at Brudickville

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Pawcatuck – Bradford to Potter Hill – August 15, 2020

Bike shuttle from Post Office Landing

By now, we have all developed pretty good COVID-19 paddling habits - wear your mask, keep your distance, and no car shuttles. As a river paddler, though,  there are times when I just want to go downstream. Without a car how do you make that happen. Easy – just hop on your bike.

Bike shuttles work just like car shuttles except for the part when you all crowd into one vehicle to get back to the put-in. Instead, you hop on your bike. It’s a fun addition to the trip, and you get some great exercise. 

Running the Bradford Fish Weirs

Lately I have been looking for trips with a relatively long paddle and a relatively short, flat bike ride. The way our local rivers twist-and-turn there are many, but some of the best are on the Pawcatuck – RI’s only Wild and Scenic River.

The Wood-Pawcatuck watershed encompasses 300 square miles in southwestern RI and southeastern CT. Its seven major rivers include the Beaver,  Queen - Usquepaug, Wood, Chipuxet, Shunock, Green Falls - Ashaway, and Pawcatuck. It is one of the largest remaining natural areas along the northeast corridor between New York and Boston, and received Wild and Scenic River status in 2019. 

Paddling through the Grills Preserve

The Pawcatuck River itself arises at Worden Pond in South Kingstown and flows 34-miles south and west to Westerly where it flows into Little Narragansett Bay on Long Island Sound. We would be paddling the section from Bradford to Potter Hill – about 7-miles.  Unlike some of the sections upstream, there is plenty of water here all summer long. 

Jonathan, Bill and I dropped off our boats at Bradford at around 9:30, and drove to take-out at Potter Hill. Parking is available at Post Office Landing – a DEM boat launch across the street from the take-out. It looks like someone’s driveway, but it is a public access point. At least they have now put up a sign.

Polly Coon Footbridge

We left our cars at the take-out and had an easy 4-mile bike ride back to Bradford. It doesn’t take that much longer than arranging a car shuttle. When we arrived back at Bradford, Sharon and Paul were waiting for us. Sharon had arranged her own shuttle, and Paul would do the bike ride after the trip. 

The river was low, but there was still plenty of water – 21 cfs, 1.75 feet on the Wood River Junction gage.  Surprisingly, there was even enough water to run the Bradford fish weirs, which replaced the old Bradford Dam in 2018.

Lunch at the beach

The old Bradford Dam was a 19th 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 a new rock ramp structure.

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.

Bill the triathlete - bike, boat and swim

After running, lining or portaging the Bradford Dam we continued downstream. From Bradford to Route 3 the river twists and turns through 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 a break and a socially-distanced lunch. 

Below Route 3 there is more development as the river meanders though open marshland to 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 our boats and drove back to Bradford to pick up our bikes after another great trip.

Approaching Potter Hill

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Wood River Junction Gage

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

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Wood River Junction Gage

Pawcatuck – Richmond to Bradford – July 7, 2018

The kayaks are coming

I got an email from Jonathan asking if I would be interested in paddling tandem on Saturday - of course I would! I was leading a RICKA trip on the Pawcatuck River. For Jonathan it would be a bit of a homecoming since he had done a camping trip here 20 years ago – camping at the Carolina Canoe Campsite.  

It turned out to be a beautiful day with temperatures in the low 80’s. The river was low, but still fluid – 2 feet, 50 cfs on the Wood River Junction Gage. We had 18 boats on the 8-mile section of the Pawcatuck from Richmond to Bradford. 

One of many blow-downs

We ran the shuttle and put in at the Jay Cronin Access at around 10:30. For the first half of the trip the river was narrow, and we had to maneuver around 8 blow-downs in the first 3 miles – most we were able to paddle around, a couple we had to lift boats over. It took us longer that expected to run that section, so we stopped for lunch at the bushwhack site across from the Wood River in Alton rather than at Burlingame as was the original plan.

Below Alton, the river gets bigger with the increased flow from the Wood River. About half of us ran the Burdickville Dam (two swims) and the rest portaged. From there, it is an easy paddle down to Bradford. Fun day, and always good to paddle with Jonathan. 

Running the Broken Dam at Burdickville

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Wood River Junction Gage

Alton to Bradford - May 20, 2018

Running the Broken Dam

The forecast was mixed with rain and thunderstorms early and late, but we were able to catch the window in the middle to run the Wood/Pawcatuck from Alton to Bradford. The river was at a nice level -3 feet, 250 cfs on the Wood River Junction gage.  

Due to work on the bridge below the dam, we had to lift our boats over construction barriers to get the put-in.  Once there, the river was flowing nice. We had an easy run through the broken dam at Burdickville, stopped for lunch and a fire at Burlingame Canoe Campsites (thanks Jim), and did a first run through the new dam at Bradford.

Lunch at Burlingame

I did a little research on the old Bradford Dam. The original dam was a stone and timber structure built between sometime 1819 and 1846 to divert water 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. This ramp 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.

Running the New Bradford Dam from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

New fish weirs at Bradford

The Bradford Dam is just one of a series of restoration projects on the Pawcatuck River. In 2010, the Lower Shannock Falls Dam was removed and replaced with a short rapid that allows fish to swim upstream, and paddlers to run downstream. In 2013, a rock ramp was built on the downstream side old Kenyon Dam. In 2016, the White Rock Dam in Westerly was removed. Combined with fish ladders at Potter Hill and Upper Shannock Falls, the removal or modification of these dams has opened up 31 miles of the Pawcatuck River to migratory fish.  

Hopefully the water will be at a good level when we do our Bradford to Potter Hill trip on August 18^th.  It will be nice to run down the weirs rather than portage like we had to do with the old dam.  

The crew at the put-in

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Wood River Junction Gage