Welcome
Friends of the Pawtuxet is a group of concerned citizens who promote the health of the Pawtuxet River as a valuable resource and encourage its responsible recreational use.
The Pawtuxet River courses through Rhode Island, starting at the Scituate Reservoir and ending at the falls in Pawtuxet Village, where it empties into Narragansett Bay. Friends of the Pawtuxet helps to maintain trails in this lower Pawtuxet River and it organizes canoe days for family enjoyment of the river. On canoe days, you can bring your own canoe or rent one. You can also take a guided nature tour through the mature red maple forest. Learn about the wonders of native plants along the way
Goings On...
- INVASIVE PLANTS REPLACE PAWTUXET FLORA
- STOP & SHOP MESS
- RIVER RESTORATION MOVES AHEAD
- MORE TREE PLANTING
- ODS & ENDS
INVASIVE PLANTS REPLACE PAWTUXET FLORA
Invasive species are increasingly threatening native plants along the Pawtuxet River loop trail. Areas where man has disrupted the land, like the edges of parking lots, ball fields, and near Shaw’s supermarket, are particularly susceptible. Multiflora rose, oriental bittersweet, purple loosestrife, phragmites, and Japanese knotweed have already taken over natural areas along the river.
When bulldozers or major construction disrupt the soil, these hardy plants are the first to colonize, and they grow quickly before native plants can gain a foothold. Over the last two years, Friends of the Pawtuxet has removed much multiflora rose from the trail, mostly at the trail head near the lower Rhodes on the Pawtuxet parking lot. Many large multiflora rose bushes, identified by woody red branches with thorns in the winter and bright green foliage with showy white flowers in the summer, have been dug up, enabling jewelweed, blackberries, red twig dogwood, and field horsetails to grow. More multiflora remains, especially by the footbridge and ten feet off the trail.
The invasive rose also helps Japanese bittersweet, which is best known for its pretty red berries and bright yellow casings, enter mature trees. The vine winds up the tall spikes of a rosebush to reach lower tree branches. As the rose expands and shields smaller plants from the sun, the vine heads upward, strangling the tree trunk and competing with its leaves for light. This combination can be seen at the footbridge and behind Shaw’s.
Phragmites, a tall thin reed, and purple loosestrife, a bushy wetland plant with showy pinkish purple flowers, replace native cattails in freshwater wetlands. The Stillhouse Cove restoration in Cranston targeted phragmites, which can also be seen in the wetland east of Hollywood Video at the edge of Shaw’s parking lot. Purple loosestrife is in the same wetland and on the Cranston side just upriver from the large grassy field where a makeshift trail crosses the Silver Hook pond outlet. Japanese knotweed, which looks like bamboo, is in many locations, including at the Little Fay Field footbridge and behind Shaw’s.
In March, Asian clams were found for the first time in the river. The hard shell clam is smaller than a dime, competes with native species for food and multiplies rapidly blanketing river bottoms.
Multiflora rose and bittersweet can be dug up, but other invasives regenerate from small pieces of root. To help, join our trail work efforts. Sign up for the market email list to receive notice of work days.
Despite the protests of neighbors, Friends of the Pawtuxet, and other environmental groups, the Cranston City Council voted in February to change a zoning definition to allow Stop & Shop to build a supermarket on the Warwick Nurseries property on Warwick Avenue. Concern for local tax revenue and jobs swamped environmental concerns. Richard Baccari’s Churchill & Banks development company is pushing the project, but by mid-March no plans had been presented to the city.
The City Council feels that environmental concerns can be addressed during the site plan review process, a little known city oversight procedure for large construction projects. Unfortunately, the process cannot require project changes. This weakness has led to some spectacular failures in recent years, most notably the Orchard Farms Elementary School design.
Nevertheless, Friends of the Pawtuxet hopes the project will include a trail easement along the river, fencing, a vegetative buffer to catch trash blowing off the parking lot, and a proper storm water runoff system. Neighbors have additional concerns about noise, lighting, and trash.
The Pawtuxet River Authority, Narragansett Bay Estuary Program and partners continue to work on the Pawtuxet Falls project, with the goal of restoring natural flow to the lower river within a year. Early in 2009 the project received $50,000 from the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council and $300,000 from R.I. Dept. of Environmental Management. With funds already committed by the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service and other organizations, the partners now have enough to complete the project. To obtain the necessary RIDEM permits, the project must prove that it protects human and environmental health and will not harm Pawtuxet Cove marinas or wetland resources.
Friends of the Pawtuxet coordinated planting eleven trees last year. A group of Roger Williams University freshmen planted four tulip trees at the farmers market site under the supervision of Rosemary Driscoll and Steve Stycos. Friends of the Pawtuxet and the market split the $1000 cost of the trees.
Next, Jean Pettingill, Hilary Fifer, Penny Hough, Steve Stycos and DEM supervisor Paul Zolkos planted two ash, a tulip, and a red maple along the loop trail at the DEM Supply Depot. The Rhode Island Trails Advisory Committee, a Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management group, paid for three trees. The tulip tree was paid for by the Lehrer family in memory of Elliot M. Stone, who died in April 2005 at age 59 after a two-month battle with cancer. Elliot was the son of Ira and Ruth Stone and lived for most of his childhood on Reservoir Avenue. A graduate of Classical High School and Boston University, he was involved in boy scouting and spent summers working at Camp Yawgoog. He was also CEO of Massachusetts Health Data Consortium, a health-care information systems company.
Finally, Warwick Nurseries donated two ash trees that were planted at Edgewood Highland School, and a red maple planted in the small park at the corner of Wheeler, Grand, and Pawtuxet Avenues.
Friends of the Pawtuxet has several projects for a Boy or Girl Scout troop, or an Eagle Scout project. We are also looking for a representative to attend monthly meetings of the Environment Council of Rhode Island, a state coalition of the green groups. Interested? Call Steve Stycos (461-2618).
The farmers market sends a weekly email with market news and other Pawtuxet/Edgewood events. To be added to the list, email Steve Stycos.
As always, a special thanks to Rhodes on the Pawtuxet for providing space free of charge for the farmers market, our canoeing days and walks.