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Narragansett Bay
Coastal and Estuary Quick Finder |
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Summary Information
| Year Established: | 1987 |
| Location: | Rhode Island, Massachusetts |
| Area of Watershed: | 4,674 square kilometers |
Priority Management Issues: |
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nutrients pathogens habitat loss/alteration toxics fisheries loss/ decline |
conventional pollutants human population growth species loss/decline introduced/pest species |
Major Habitat Types: |
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submerged aquatic vegetation (sea grass) lagoon/shallow open water shellfish growing areas cliffs/bluffs beach/dune (bare and vegetated) sand/mud/salt flats tidal pools salt/brackish marsh |
freshwater marsh (tidal and non-tidal) forested wetland seasonal wetland salt ponds scrub/shrub riparian/riverine (forested and tidal) |
Federally Endangered or Threatened Species: |
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reptiles: Kemp's ridley sea turtle |
Overviews and Highlights
Narragansett Bay is the center of industrial activity in Rhode Island and, therefore, receives a great quantity of pollutants. In addition, pollution from highly industrialized areas in Massachusetts is washed into rivers that flow into the bay. To help companies reduce the amount of toxic contaminants they discharge into these waters, the Narragansett Bay NEP established the Hazardous Waste Reduction Project (HWRP). Under this project, companies could request a technical assessment of practices generating hazardous waste. Assessment teams inspected companies' industrial processes to identify possible areas where hazardous waste production or discharges could be reduced. These teams also evaluated the most practical and cost-effective methods of incorporating waste reduction teams. The success of this project has led the State of Rhode Island to establish a permanent Hazardous Waste Reduction Program as well as a hazardous waste collection facility.
Maps
Select a map.
- Local Maps
Narragansett Bay Study Area
(area where the program is concentrating its efforts)
Narragansett Bay Watershed
(estuarine and fluvial drainage areas for the estuary)
- Regional Maps- Northeast
Locations of Estuaries in the NEP
Watersheds of Estuaries in the NEP
Study Areas of Estuaries in the NEP
