North Branch of the Pawtuxet – August 15, 2016

I led the RICKA "Meeting on the Water" on the North Branch of the Pawtuxet last night - 14 boats.  I had never done this paddle this late in the summer, and was surprised how much grass was growing in the river - good thing Chuck was there to lead the way.  It was a hot night, and fog was rising off the cold water up near the dam.  It was like a natural air conditioner.

Dam at the Scituate Reservoir 

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Hope Landing - Rhode Island Blueways

North Branch of the Pawtuxet – May 10, 2016

Henry, Rosco and Cheryl

The Blackstone Valley Paddle Club began it's season with a joint paddle with the Southern New England Paddlers on the North Branch of the Pawtuxet. We put in above the Hope Furnace Dam (15 Hope Furnace Road in Scituate) and paddled upstream to the Scituate Reservoir. 

After a week of cold rainy weather, it was great to get out on a relatively warm evening – it almost felt like spring.  There is no gage in this section of the river, but the gage on the main branch of the Pawtuxet in Cranston was 4.3 feet, 335 cfs. We had about 14 paddlers in a mixture of boats,

Spillway from the dam

We paddled upstream into the backwater of the Hope Furnace Dam.  Eventually the river narrows as you approach the Scituate Reservoir Dam.  It got shallow in spots, but we all made it up to the dam.  With last week’s rain, there was a lot of water coning to the dam’s spillway – it looked like a waterfall.  From there we turned around and came back down. 

Heading back

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Gage - Main Branch of the Pawtuxet River – Cranston

River Description from Rhode Island Bluejays

Southern New England Paddlers

Blackstone Valley Paddle Club

Pawtuxet Cove – January 11, 2014

I got my days backwards (the RICKA trip I thought I was joining is tomorrow), but I still did some paddling down at the Pawtuxet Cove.  I put-in at 11:00 at the Aspray Boathouse at Pawtuxet Park.  I paddled out to the breakwater, but decided not to venture out into the bay.  I paddled back down the cove to the Broad Street Bridge to do some surfing at the Pawtuxet Falls before heading back. 

Below the Pawtuxet Falls

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