U-t -90-0>4 C2 THE and can be usedfor industrial proc- regulators werc dcsigncd to discharge essesand cooling. scwagcdirectly to thc rivers during WOONASQUATUC KET The U.S. GeologicalSurvey main- rainfalls, when the interceptor and tains a gaugeon the Woonasquatucket sewage ueatment system's capacity RIVER River at Centerdale,approximately 6.5 ld be exceeded. The combmc miles above the river's mouth. At this sewers, irlterceptofs, and regulators arc point, the river drains 38.3 square still part of the Providenccsewage P1189 MargaretKerr miles, and hasan averageflow of 73 system, During rain storms, sewage R IU-G-90-014 URI Coastai cubic feet per second.However, flows and street runoff flows into the rivers Resources Center can vary significantly throughout thc of Providencethrough approximately year. Extremewet spring flows can bc 65 combined sewer overflow CSO! The WoonasquatucketRiver flows between 1,200 and 1,700 cubic feet structures. right through the heartof the city of pcr second, while low, summer flows During the early 1900s, the Providence,traveling southof the can bc as little as 5 cubic feet per sec- Woonasquatucket River was used as a StateCapitol to join with the Moshas- ond, Tidal influenceextends upstream water supply and waste water receiv- suck River, forming the westernarm to about Valley Sueet in Providcncc. ing stream for numerous faciorics and of the Providence River. However, the mills. In 1922,approximately 7,200 river's coursehas been altered, paved Historical Water Qoality people lived in many small communi- over, hiddenfrom view, and today the tics along thc Woonasquatucket, A I- WoonasquatucketRiver is virtualiy The lower portion of thc though ihc river rcccivcd industrial unknown to most of the city's resi- WoonasquatuckctRiver hasbeen pol- waste from manui'acturing establish- dents. luted by sewage and runoff from ur- mentsalong its length,and sanitary The river beginsin North Srnith- ban Providencc for well over 100 waste from the local population, thc fieId, flowing throughSmithfield and years. In the early 1800s, sewers were loadings werc small enough to bc as- Glocester, and then forms the bound- built io carry humanand animal similatedby the river, A study of ary between Johnston and North wastesfrom the city streetsto the Rhode Island waters in 1922 con- Providence.The river is 19miles Iong, city's rivers. Thesesewers, designed to cluded that the Woonasquatuckctwas and hasa drainagearea of approxi- carry both wastewater and storm wa- mately 51 squaremiles. Much of the ter, are called com- Wooriasquatucket drainagearea has been impounded, bined sewers, creatinga seriesof reservoirsand old River In 1897,intercept- Watershed mill pondsthroughout the watershed. ing sewerswere built RhodeIsland hasclassified the ponds along the rivers to carry and reservoirsin the upperwatershed the wastedischarges as Class B. This means that thc water away from thc rivers, can bc usedas a public water supply down to the Providence after appropriatetrcaunent, or as an Wastcwatcr Treatment agricultural water supply. It is theo- Plant, which discharged rctically safe for swimming and other at Fiefd's Point. Waste- rccrcational activities on and in the water regulating de- water, and it shouldsupport a healthy vices were built at the fish and wildlife population.The main connections bc tween stemof the Woonasquatuckctis classi- the original combined fied C, which means that it is o a scwcrs and thc new lesserquality, and is only suitablef' or interceptors to control boating and other recrcauon on not the amount of' wastcwa- RI in! thc water. It shouldalso provide a tcr transferred to thc suitable habiiat for fish and wildlife, trcatmcnt plant, Thc 1 inch = 20 miles RhodeIsland Sea Grant, Universityol RhodeIsland 8ay Campus,Narratiansett, Rl 02882-1197 Phonef401! 792-6842 M printed on recyt:ledpaper primarily polluted at its mouth by the MoshassuckRiver water flowing up- EPA water quality criteria ior chronic stream with the tide. toxicity in fresh waters 4 ng/1!. Current Water Quality The Capital Center Project Thc WoonasquatuckctRiver is still The lower portion of the used today by a small number of in- WoonasquatucketRiver is currently dustries for cooling and/or process part of the Capital Center!mprove- water,and for wastedisposal. As of ment Project, which will make the October 1, 1986, there were six sew- Woonasquatucket,Moshassuck and agedischarges permitted by the state Providencerivers the focal point for that were dischargingto the downtown Providence. The plans call Woonasquatucket River. These facili- for waterfront parks, walkways along tics include the town of Smithfield the rivers, a reflecdon pool, and possi- scwagc treatment plant, and five small bly the use of the rivers for river taxis. industries. The parking decks that have cov- Thc Rhode Island Division of Wa- ered the rivers since the 1920s will bc ter Resourcesevaluated water quality removed and replaced wi th car and in the upperWoonasquatucket water- foot bridges designed to reflect the shedfor the 1990report on "The State historic characterof their neighbor- of the StateWaters." They found that hoods,The bridgeswill havean the water quality of lakes in the upper archeddesign, allowing 8 foot clear- watcrshcd was threatened by excess ance for small boat traffic. loadings of nuuients and sediments. The heartof the Capital Centerwill Waterquality problemsfound in the be Waterplace, a 4-acre park featuring lakesinclude increasedgrowths of a pond 240 feet in diameter. The pond aquatic plants, algae blooms, de- is modeled after the Great Salt Cove pressedlevels of dissolvedoxygen, that originally lay at the mouth of the and increased turbidity. Shoreline de- Moshassuck River. In 1844, the Provi- velopment and the accompanying in- dence and Worcester Railroad Com- troductionof pollution from failing panydeveloped a parkaround the septic systems,road runoff, and runoff cove, but access to the park was lim- of lawn fertilizers were cited as the ited by the railroad, and the aesthetics likely causeof the water quality dete- of the park wereruined by pollution. rioration in the lakes. The park was rarely used.In 1891,the Water quality on the lower portion city filled in the cove and tumed the of the WoonasquatucketRiver is de- park into railway freight yardsand gradedby high concentrationsof bac- city streets. teria, solids, and somemetals, particu- Waterplaccwas designed to con- larly zinc and copper.According to a nect the west sideof Capital Center, recent rcport, the lower two miles of near 1-95, with the east side, near Ca- thc Woonasquatucket River have vis- nal Street; and the State House with ible sludgedeposits, floating solids, Kennedy Plaza and downtown. The and refuse, The bottom sediments are park is linked to the river relocation pcrmcatcdwith oil in many areas. project by 4.5 tniles of river walks. During the warm summermonths, the Capital Centeris scheduledfor river becomesbrown and green,sug- completion in 1993 At this time, the gesung significant growths of sus- project is aboutone-third complete. pended,or attached,algae. The railroad tracks and station have Thc average concentration of PCBs been moved, the relocation of thc in water samplescollected from the Moshassuckand Woonasquatucket ! jMIIIIIIIjj4 ~ mouth of the WoonasquatucketRiver rivers is almostcomplete, and the during dry weather conditons in 1985 Capitol Center tower has bccn con- and 19865.3 ng/1!cxcccdcd thc structed at thc ncw confluence. .'iea Grant i s a national pr ogram dedicated to promoti ng the wise tuseof marine res.