Priorities for Improving Small Craft Access and Controlling Erosion

on the Wood and Pawcatuck Rivers

 

Includes Keys to Map of the Watershed

 

 

 

Submitted to

South County Greenspace Protection Project

14 September 2001

For inclusion in town-level synthesis maps

 

 

Prepared by the

Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association

(the designated Watershed Council for the Pawcatuck Watershed)

 

Reviewed by

Rhode Island Canoe/Kayak Association

Trout Unlimited

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following are recommendations of the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association for priority recreational access and erosion control at public access areas along the Wood and Pawcatuck Rivers. Items  are listed by town in order of priority. Many relate to both recreation and natural resource protection.

 

          Priorities were set by evaluating needs for access, improved safety, damage mitigation, and a preliminary evaluation of feasibility of improvement.

 

South Kingstown:

1.     Improve the aesthetics and control poison ivy at Taylor’s Landing. (SK2A)

2.     Acquire property near mouth of pond to develop canoe access point on Hundred Acre Pond. (SK3A)

 

Exeter:

1.     Develop and install erosion controls along the banks of the Wood River below Rt. 165 used for fishing access.

2.     Identify areas appropriate for canoe camping sites.

 

Richmond:

1.     Acquire property above Lower Shannock Falls that includes the abandoned building.  Remove building and develop canoe access point (Pawcatuck). (R2A)

2.     Install erosion controls at the access downstream of Lower Shannock Falls (Pawcatuck). (R2A)

3.     Improve access, provide parking and control erosion below Woodville Dam (Wood). (RH3A)

4.     Acquire property at King’s Factory Road on the Richmond side to develop canoe access point with parking (Pawcatuck). (RC1A)

5.     Acquire property at or near Rt. 112, Carolina, to develop canoe access and parking (Pawcatuck). (R5A)

6.     Acquire property to improve access at the Old Stone Dam near Switch Road. (H2A)

 

Hopkinton:

1.     Improve access downstream of the Barberville Dam with erosion controls and better parking (Wood). (RH1A)

2.     Improve access below Alton Dam with steps and other erosion controls.  Provide signs on Rt. 91 informing drivers that pedestrians carrying boats will be crossing the road.  Paint cross walk on the road. (Wood) (H4A)

3.     Improve access above Woodville Dam with erosion controls.  Provide parking. (Wood) (RH3A)

4.     Acquire property at Skunk Hill Road to develop better access and parking) (RH2A)

5.     Improve aesthetics at the Switch Road access. (Wood) (H3A)

6.     Improve portage around dam and fish ladder at the Bradford Dye Association’s dam with erosion controls and more room to maneuver boats.  If possible, acquire land to provide better access below dam. (Pawcatuck) (HW3A)

7.     Develop access area off Chase Hill Road, a new DEM property.

8.     Improve access below the Old Stone Dam on Mechanic Street. (H2A)

 

Charlestown (all on the Pawcatuck):

1.     Acquire property at Burdickville Road to develop canoe access points  upstream and downstream.  Remove broken dam so that there would be no need to portage. (HC1A)

2.     Remove dam at Kenyon Industries. (C3A)

3.     Improve portage around Horseshoe Dam in Shannock.  Acquire property to widen takeout point near falls.  Put up signs on Old Shannock Road to warn drivers about pedestrians crossing with boats.  Paint in a crosswalk.  Improve the parking area below the falls.  Install erosion controls for the downstream access. (C2A)

4.     Acquire the property at the corner of Tall Timbers Road and Hilltop Drive to develop new canoe access park. (C1A)

 

Westerly (all on the Pawcatuck)

1.     Acquire the property at the Potter Hill Mill.  Remove the mill to develop a canoe access/river park, including a parking area. (HW2A)

2.     Acquire property above the Potter Hill Mill Dam to develop a canoe access point.  Put in a portage route to the downstream access.  Put up signs on Potter Hill Road to warn drivers about pedestrians crossing with boats.  Paint in a crosswalk. (HW2A) 

3.     Remove dam at White Rock. (WS2A)

4.     Improve portage point at Stillmanville. (WS3A)

5.     Improve access at Canal Street with erosion controls, cleanup, and signs. (W1A)

 

Other suggestions:

Ø     Provide signs on major roads directing people to the river access points.

Ø     Have crosswalks painted onto all roads where there is a portage across the road.  Have signs on the roads warning motorists of canoers crossing the roads.

Ø     Provide signs on the road side of all bridges with the name of the river that people are crossing.

Ø     Provide signs at the water side on all bridges with the name of the road so that paddlers know where they are on the river.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

List of Canoe and Fishing Access Points

on the Wood and Pawcatuck Rivers

 

Please note abbreviations:  US means Up Stream; DS means Down Stream; RR means River Right; LR means River Left.  As you are heading DS, the RR will be on your Right and RL will be on your left.  These are listed in order from up- to downstream.

 

WOOD RIVER:

1.     Quonset Hut, Rt. 165, Exeter.  Good access on both sides of river.  New steps for erosion control put in 1999 by Trout Unlimited.  Plenty of parking.  Better erosion controls need to be installed along the banks bordered by fisherman trails.  Arcadia Management Area, State of RI property. (E1A)

2.     Deep Pond and The Pines, Blitzkreig Trail off Arcadia Rd, Hopkinton.  Access RR.  New steps for erosion control put in by Trout Unlimited 1999 make it a little difficult to put canoe in.  Good fishing access.  Plenty of parking.  Long ride down rutted dirt road.  State of RI property. (E2A, E3A)

3.     Barberville Dam, (WPWA headquarters) Arcadia Rd, Exeter/Hopkinton.  New State handicap accessible fishing pier and canoe access, US of dam, RR, Hopkinton.  Not enough parking.  US RL is the old public access on State land.  It is a tough haul out onto the bank, then over a guard rail and across the road.  Many people tempted to put in near the dam and run the rapids underneath the bridge.  DS access both RR and RL need improvement.  Suggest designating DS RR as the access point and improving trail. (RH1A).

4.     Skunk Hill Road Bridge, Richmond/Hopkinton.  Access US of bridge, RR, on Hopkinton side.  Not maintained.  Tough haul up bank.  No parking.  Suggest purchase some adjoining land and improve site. (RH2A)

5.     Wyoming Fishing Access, Rt. 3/138, Richmond.  Access RL US of dam.  Good beach access, plenty of parking.  DS access is poor but rarely used because it is almost never canoeable due to low water and large rocks.  State of RI property. (R1A)

6.     Hope Valley, Main St., Hopkinton.  Located behind the Chariho Little League Fields.  Good access, good parking.  Little used by canoeist because of the tough portages DS. (H1A)

7.     The Old Stone Dam, Hopkinton.  Access DS of the dam is virtually nonexistent.  There is limited parking US RR.  Canoeists must take out RR, and portage over road, over guardrail, down practically non-existent trail covered with poison ivy.  Scenic and historic area. (H2A)

8.     Switch Rd, near Rt. 95 overpass, Hopkinton.  Access RR.  Good access, good parking.  Unsightly area.  Aesthetics need improvement.  Needs signs near road. (H3A)

9.     Woodville Dam, Woodville-Alton Road, Richmond/Hopkinton.  US access on RR, Hopkinton.  Tough haul over a couple of large stone steps.  DS access on RL, Richmond.  To portage, canoeist need to haul boat over guard rail, diagonally across bridge, over guard rail again; then down steep embankment.  No adequate parking on street.  Both access points need to be cleared, widened, and improved.  Need to provide parking, signage, and safe portage. (RH3A)

10. Alton Pond, Rt. 91, Hopkinton.  Access on RR, US of dam.  Good access, plenty of parking.  DS access on RR across Rt. 91.  Tough haul from parking area, across busy road, over guard rail, and down steep embankment.  Need to improve trail down to put-in and access area itself.  Need to post signs so that drivers are aware of canoeists crossing the road.  State property. (H4A) 

 

PAWCATUCK RIVER:

1.     Hundred Acre Pond, South Kingstown.  Currently there is no public access to the pond.  Canoeist tend to use the bridge on Hundred Acre Pond Road, which is inadequate.  It would be nice to have a public access on the pond because it is the headwaters of the Pawcatuck River. (SK3A)

2.     Taylor’s Landing, Rt. 138, South Kingstown.  Good access, fair amount of parking.  Cars can overflow onto Liberty Lane.  Beginning section is often overgrown with poison ivy.  Unsightly area; aesthetics need improvement. (SK2A)

3.     Worden’s Pond, Tuckertown Road, South Kingstown.  Public landing on south side of pond.  Long paddle across the pond.  Adequate parking and access. (SK1A)

4.     Biscuit City Landing, Old Biscuit City Rd, Richmond.  Access RL.  Good parking, good access.  State property.  To get to this landing canoeists need to take a side stream off the main river.  No sign on the river stating this. (R4A)

5.     Kenyon Mills dam portage, Charlestown.  The portage on RL not maintained.  Easy portage.  Not a takeout. (C3A)

6.     Shannock Horseshoe Dam, Charlestown.  Takeout on RL is not marked and not very wide.  Paddlers need to come close to the edge of the dam.  It is not maintained.  Some parking at the DS access, which needs improvement.  Could be a good access point. (C2A)

7.     Lower Shannock Falls, Railroad Street, Richmond.  Take out above the dam is on RR adjacent to an abandoned house, apparently private property.  OK access DS.  Only street parking.  Suggest purchasing property, taking down the house, creating access ramp and perhaps parking.  Access DS needs erosion controls.  Area is very unsightly.  Needs to be cleaned up. (R2A)

8.     Carolina, Rt. 112, Richmond.  Access on RR, US of bridge.  Only take-out before class II rapids.  Tough haul up a steep embankment and a lift over a guard rail.  No parking, street or otherwise.  Needs a better access area and parking. (R5A)

9.     Corner of Tall Timbers Rd. and Hilltop Rd., Charlestown.  Private property; no public access allowed.  Would make a very good access point.  Plenty of parking, good beach area.  Suggest the possibility of acquiring property for that purpose. (C1A)

10. Richmond Fisherman’s Landing, Rt. 91, Richmond.  Good access and parking.  Has a broken dam just above put-in. (R3A)

11. King’s Factory Road, Richmond/Charlestown.  No obvious take-out point.  Tough haul up steep embankment and over guard rail US, both sides.  Some street parking.  DS RL is private property.  Owners have it roped off.  Need to develop netter access site.  Suggest US RR.  Parking could be just up the road at the old cutoff of King’s Factory Rd. (RC1A)

12. Burdickville Dam, Burdickville Road, Hopkinton/Charlestown.  Access is a narrow strip of land up a steep bank, just before broken dam and just after some private land.  This is tough to spot from the water, difficult to take out.  Very little on street parking.  Suggest looking into purchasing property on RL, either above or below the bridge.  Best site would be US.  Remove broken dam so that portage would not be necessary. (HC1A)

13. Bradford Fishing Access, Rt. 91, Hopkinton/Westerly.  Takeout on RL, Westerly has good access, good parking, nice grassy area.  There is no access DS below the BDA dam.  Paddlers must put in to go DS, and then encounter a tough, wet portage around the dam and fish ladder on RR 500 feet downstream. This is private land belonging to BDA that was donated to the state for the fish ladder. Recommend a public access point downstream, perhaps below the fish ladder. (HW3A)

14. Chase Hill Road, Hopkinton.  Undeveloped access point on recently acquired DEM property.  Could be developed into a good takeout point in lieu of the Potter Hill Mill bridge takeout. (no GPS point)

15. Potter Hill Dam, Potter Hill Road, Hopkinton/Westerly.  Public take-out just before dam on RR, Hopkinton, is very difficult.  Poor on street parking.  With bridge construction on Potter Hill Road, it is nearly impossible to take out.  There was no planning by DOT to accommodate boaters.  Suggest acquiring property on RL, Westerly, for take-out.  Put-in access below dam is in bad condition, narrow and very eroded.  Newly installed rocks makes a precipitous put-in.  Needs improvement.  Town/state should cooperate on acquiring the Potter Hill Mill property, on RL, Westerly side.  Mill could be torn down to turn site into a canoe/fishing park. (HW2A)

16. Boom Bridge, Boom Bridge Road, Westerly/Stonington.  No public access at this time.  Suggest acquiring land on RR, Stonington, below bridge for access. (WS1A)

17. White Rock Dam, off Rt. 2, Westerly/Stonington.  Portage site around White Rock dam is on private property owned by Wentworth Mold, Inc.  Could acquire easement rights to small jut of land for portage and maintain it or remove dam. (WS2A)

18. White Rock Fishing Access, White Rock Road, Westerly.  Good access, good parking.  Town of Westerly property down a dirt road off of main street.  No signs on street. (WS2A)

19. Canal Street access, Canal Street, Westerly.  Small off street access point.  Fair parking.  Needs cleaning up, clearing blowdowns, erosion control, signs. (W1A)

20. Stillmanville Dam portage, Broad Street, Westerly/Stonington.  Small jut of land that bypasses Stillmanville dam.  This is the only way around the dam, unless paddlers run the broken part of the dam in high water.  Could acquire easement on land and maintain or remove dam. (WS3A)

21. Westerly Fishing Area, Main Street, Westerly.  Good access just US of tidal waters.  Ample parking.  State of RI property. (W2A)