Trout Unlimited

CAPWELL MILL POND DAM IS LOCATED ON THE CARR RIVER IN THE TOWN OF WEST GREENWICH RHODE ISLAND. THE RIVER RISES FROM CARR POND IN WEST GREENWICH AND FLOWS ROUGHLY DUE WEST PAST TARBOX AND CAPWELL MILL PONDS TO ITS CONFLUENCE WITH THE BIG RIVER WHICH LEADS TO THE SOUTH BRANCH PAWTUXET RIVER. THE CARR RIVER LIES WITHIN THE THE BIG RIVER WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA WMA WHICH WAS SURVEYED IN 2021 FOR FISH POPULATIONS AND BARRIERS TO FISH PASSAGE. AS THE AREA HAS NEVER BEEN SURVEYED IT RANKS VERY LOW WITH EBTJV DUE TO HAVING NO DATA. HOWEVER THE RECENT SURVEYS FOUND WILD NATIVE BROOK TROUT THROUGHOUT THE AREA. CAPWELL MILL POND DAM IS CLASSIFIED BY RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT RIDEM AS HAVING A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD POTENTIAL. FAILURE OF THE DAM WOULD LIKELY OVERTOP AND WASH OUT BURNT SAWMILL ROAD JUST DOWNSTREAM OF THE DAM. FAILURE OF THE DAM MAY ALSO DESTROY THE USGS GAGING STATION DOWNSTREAM OF THE BRIDGE. REMOVAL WOULD OPEN 8 MILES AND 24 ACRES FOR WILD NATIVE BROOK TROUT AND OTHER NATIVE SPECIES. THIS IS THE START OF A LARGER RESTORATION PROJECT WITHIN THE BIG RIVER WMA.

BREAKHEART POND DAM IS LOCATED ON BREAKHEART BROOK IN THE TOWN OF EXETER RHODE ISLAND. RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT RIDEM HAS BEEN MONITORING BREAKHEART BROOK AND ITS ASSOCIATED IMPOUNDMENT BREAKHEART POND FOR OVER 20 YEARS. THE LOWER REACH OF BREAKHEART BROOK INCLUDING BREAKHEART POND ARE ENTIRELY WITHIN THE ARCADIA WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA WMA. BREAKHEART BROOK IS A TRIBUTARY OF THE FLAT RIVER WHICH IS A PRIMARY TRIBUTARY OF THE WOOD RIVER. THE DAM CONSISTS OF A CONCRETE SPILLWAY DERELICT FISHWAY EARTHEN EMBANKMENTS AND CONCRETE ABUTMENTS. DATA SHOW THAT THE IMPOUNDMENT SIGNIFICANTLY RAISES WATER TEMPERATURES IN THE BROOK THEREFORE DURING SUMMER MONTHS DOWNSTREAM OF THE DAM BECOMES MOSTLY UNSUITABLE HABITAT FOR COLDWATER OBLIGATE SPECIES SUCH AS EASTERN BROOK TROUT. BROOK TROUT ARE FOUND YEAR ROUND ABOVE THE POND AND ONLY FOR PORTIONS OF THE YEAR BELOW THE POND. RIDEM HAS DOCUMENTED THAT BROOK TROUT INHABIT THE STREAM BELOW THE POND BUT ARE NOT FOUND IN THIS REACH DURING SUMMER MONTHS WHEN WATER TEMPERATURES ARE HIGH. REMOVAL OF BREAKHEART POND DAM WOULD RECONNECT APPROXIMATELY 4.52 MILES OF STREAM AND REDUCE WATER TEMPERATURES IN THE BROOK AND ADJOINING WATERCOURSES. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO CONNECT OVER 45 ACRES OF HIGH VALUE WETLANDS AND RIPARIAN HABITAT WHEN THE DAM IS REMOVED. THIS PROJECT IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST PRIORITY COLDWATER STREAM ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND IS A PRIORITY FOR RIDEM. FISH POPULATIONS IN THE UPPER WOOD RIVER WATERSHED DESIGNATED AS A WILD AND SCENIC RIVER WILL GREATLY BENEFIT FROM CONNECTIVITY IMPROVEMENT IN BREAKHEART BROOK ENHANCING ONE OF RHODE ISLANDS BEST STRONGHOLDS OF WILD BROOK TROUT. THIS IS ANTICIPATED TO BE A FULL DAM REMOVAL AND CHANNEL RESTORATION WITH A PROJECT TIMELINE TO BE COMPLETED BY 2025.