The Seekonk River: Current Health and Future

A briefing and Q&A with RI DEM Deputy Administrator Sue Kiernan

Organized by the Narragansett Boat Club, Co-sponsors:

Blackstone Parks Conservancy
Fox Point Neighborhood Association
Friends of India Point Park
Institute at Brown for Environment and Society
Providence Stormwater Innovation Center
Save the Bay
Seekonk Riverbank Revitalization Alliance
Wednesday, September 30th, 6:30-8 pm, by Zoom

What is happening with the Seekonk? Thousands of people use the river and its shores, and with the pandemic, that number has skyrocketed. From India and Bold Points to the falls below Slater Mill in Pawtucket, the Seekonk is coming back to life, now rich with pogies (river herring), eels, osprey, cormorants, gulls, kayakers, fishers, scullers, birdwatchers, and the occasional seal. But with global and local temperatures rising rapidly, sewage nutrients and runoff from roads, lawns, farms, graveyards and golf courses in two states, the river teeters on a knife’s edge. What does the future hold for this place we value so much?

To gain some insight, join us on September 30th for a briefing by Sue Kiernan, Deputy Administrator in the Office of Water Resources of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Sue has 33 years working on protecting the upper Narragansett Bay. Some things we've asked her to talk about:

Long-term trends in water quality in the upper bay
Trends in fish kills
What the main sources of pollution are
Plastic waste
Wildlife trends
Status of the Phase 4 stormwater tunnel
Green infrastructure solutions and yard/farm approaches to improving water quality
The impact of sea level rise, temperature rise, and other consequences of a changing climate
Better boating access
Swimming in the Seekonk
How individuals and groups might help the Seekonk

Видео The Seekonk River: Current Health and Future канала Brown University