Blackstone and Woonasquatucket Rivers
The Blackstone and Woonasquatucket Rivers played a key role in the industrial development of
America. The 18 and one-half mile long Woonasquatucket River has a watershed area of 32,474 acres in six
Rhode Island communities. The Blackstone River extends 46 miles from its headwaters in
Worcester, Massachusetts to the head of Narragansett Bay in Providence, Rhode Island.
Its watershed encompasses 24 communities and more than 350,000 acres, and includes the second and
third largest cities in New England. The Blackstone Valley has been designated a
National Heritage Corridor.
Principal Elements of the Action Plans
Blackstone
Environmental Restoration and Land-Use Planning: restoring water levels necessary to
maintain healthy ecosystems; achieving "Class B" status for the entire river; restoring
anadromous (migratory) fisheries to the Lower Blackstone; completing 10 stream bank and
wetland restoration projects; reintroducing extirpated species to the Blackstone River
Corridor with the habitat that will support successful reintroduction; and developing
mechanisms to address open space and growth issues.
Recreational Development: developing a comprehensive river access program from the
headwaters to the Narragansett Bay to allow for fishing, boating, etc.; and completing
the Blackstone Bikeway from Worcester to Providence with interpretation as a key element.
Historic Preservation and Cultural Conservation & Economic Development: achieving
"regeneration" of urban waterfronts and historic mill villages; restoring appropriate
sections of the Blackstone Canal for interpretation and navigation; and turning four
brownfield sites into productive economic use while improving the river environment
over current conditions.
Interpretation and Education: creating a Blackstone River Web page as a tool to
address issues and market the assets of the Blackstone; including watershed education.
Woonasquatucket
The American Heritage River (AHR) designation prompted the formation of an AHR
Steering Committee with diverse representation from each of the communities,
nonprofit organizations and community residents. This committee has identified a
number of specific priority goals and programs for the Woonasquatucket River Watershed
within each of the following categories:
- Cultural Resources and Historic Preservation.
- Environmental Restoration and Natural Resources Conservation.
- Economic Development.
- Recreation and Transportation.
Every city and town in the Woonasquatucket River watershed supported our application
for a Livable Communities Grant. The goal of the river communities is to consolidate
existing community comprehensive plans, add new plan elements relating to watershed
goals, and prepare an overall comprehensive plan for the watershed.
River Navigator and Community Partners
Johanna Hunter is a 16-year veteran of EPA. She has held an array of positions at
EPA in Washington, D.C. and Boston, Massachusetts, including congressional liaison
on the Superfund,
policy expert and project manager in the facility cleanup section. Since 1993, she has
been leader of an EPA "outreach team" explaining the Agency's mission to victims of
environmental calamity, winning numerous awards including the 1998 EPA Gold Medal. The
community partners for the two rivers include each of the cities and towns along the
river, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and community residents. The
Woonasquatucket River Greenway Project is the community point of contact for the American
Heritage River program and the convener of the Woonasquatucket River American Heritage
River Steering Committee. The Blackstone River Valley Heritage Commission is convener
for the Blackstone Heritage River Steering Committee.
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