Narragansett Bay

Bay Swim Loses Navy Support

Natalie Jablonski — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:53:35 +0000

A fundraiser swim across Narragansett Bay is in jeopardy because of federal sequestration. The environmental group Save the Bay says the Navy can no longer help host the summer event that’s been going on for more than 30 years in Newport.

DEM Looking into Narragansett Bay Pollution

Bradley Campbell — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:04:55 +0000

Shell fishermen are banned from fishing in the Upper Narragansett Bay. The Department of Environmental Management has found high levels of bacteria in the water.

DEM’s Chief of Surface Water Protection, Angelo Liberti, says it’s due to a portion of the Bucklin Point Wastewater Treatment plant in East Providence being taken offline. "And with the last rain event, they had some trouble balancing their treatment flow through their system which resulted in the release of partially treated wastewater.”

Shellfishing Area Closed

Lydia Rogers — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:33:00 +0000

A Rhode Island shell fishing area is closed. The Conimicut Triangle and Area A of the upper Narragansett Bay is closed because of discharge from a waste water treatment plant in East Providence.

The Department of Environmental Protection says the discharge had elevated fecal coliform levels.

The waters will be closed to shell fishing until sunrise Tuesday March 5th.

The DEM says the Bucklin Point Waste Water Treatment Facility is working with the Department staff to meet stricter discharge limits.

Protecting RI shellfish

Bradley Campbell — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:33:58 +0000

Shellfish restoration is the topic at a meeting Thursday at the University of Rhode Island. The state wants input on how best to protect shellfish in coastal ponds and Narragansett Bay.
The Director of the US Coastal Program at URI’s Coastal Resource Center, Jen McCann, says the state has so far heard about two main concerns…
“What is the regulatory process to move forward with restoration? And also, where are the appropriate sites to do restoration in the bay and also the salt ponds so within state waters.”