Acknowledgements. A Guide to Paddling in the Woonasquatucket River Watershed. Cover Photographs:

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2 Acknowldgmnts This guidbook would not xist without funding th Watrshd Council rcivd from th Rhod Island Rivrs Council to support this projct and without th staff of th Watrshd Council who had th original ida for this guidbook and found th funding to mak it possibl Th board and staff of th Woonasquatuckt Rivr Watrshd Council also providd vry usful suggstions and guidanc on th compilation of this guidbook Richard E Grnwood of th RI Historical rsrvation and Hritag Commission providd assistanc with som of th historical nots hrin Last but far from last, th Woonasquatuckt Rivr itslf would not b anywhr nar as nic a plac to paddl if it wr not for th many yars of hard work by th prsnt and past staff of th Woonasquatuckt Rivr Watrshd Council and th many voluntrs who hav contributd in numrous ways to th Watrshd Council ovr th yars!, from th board that has hlpd to guid th organization to th many popl who hav takn part in clan-ups, park days, and othr projcts throughout th watrshd! A Guid to addling in th Woonasquatuckt Rivr Watrshd by Bruc G Hook Covr hotographs: 2012 Front Top: addling nar th north nd of Woonasquatuckt Rsrvoir Front Bottom: Erasmo Valdz, on of th Woonasquatuckt Rivr Watrshd Council s Rivr Rangrs, paddling with Bruc Hook on th Woonasquatuckt Rivr in rovidnc, nar Eagl Strt Th Rivr Rangrs ar nighborhood tnagrs th Watrshd Council mploys to tak car of th parks and bik path along th rivr, organiz vnts, and tach nighborhood childrn about th rivr and its nvironmnt Back Top: Jo Jamroz, on of th Woonasquatuckt Rivr Watrshd Council s rgular voluntrs, paddling on Gryston Mill ond Back Bottom: A larg group of paddlrs on a Woonasquatuckt Rivr Watrshd Council trip on th rovidnc and Woonasquatuckt Rivrs in downtown rovidnc by th Woonasquatuckt Rivr Watrshd Council, All rights rsrvd

3 addling th Woonasquatuckt Rivr Watrshd From quit ponds and rsrvoirs in th northrn part of th watrshd to urban paddling through th hart of rovidnc, to vn som strtchs of quickwatr and mild whitwatr in-btwn, th Woonasquatuckt Rivr Watrshd offrs divrs paddling opportunitis On of th surpriss in stor for paddlrs is how much natur can b found in vn th mor urban parts of th watrshd Right in rovidnc th rivr oftn flows btwn grn rivrbanks dns with big trs that ovrhang th rivr and nclos it in a tunnl of grn Small wtlands along th rivr attract birds and othr wildlif, and turtls ar a common sight Whil paddling in ths aras it is intrsting to try to imagin th rivr as it onc was, 400 yars ago whn it was wild and undammd and tamd with hug Atlantic salmon at th right tim of yar Ths salmon and othr animals and plants found at th rivr wr an important sourc of food for th ativ Amricans in th ara In thos days, th low ara north of Fdral Hill was a larg salt-watr cov, with giant oystrs and othr safood in abundanc Rogr Williams and his followrs paddld up this cov on thir way to sttl rovidnc and found what would bcom th stat of Rhod Island Th bounty of th rivr hlpd sustain Rogr Williams and his followrs as it had th ativ Amricans, but in tim th rivr cam to b important in othr ways to th popl who sttld along its banks In th 1800 s txtil mills wr built along th rivr, using th watr of th rivr for powr, for procssing txtils, and as a plac to dispos of wast Th numrous dams along th rivr largly dat from this ra Most of th ponds in th watrshd ar man-mad, built to provid powr and watr to th mills Small ponds whr also built throughout th watrshd by farmrs sking to rtain watr for thir livstock and othr uss ow w ar at th start of th 21st Cntury, our own ra, and it is up to us how w will trat th rivr Th dams ar no longr usd to gnrat powr and th old mills hav largly bn convrtd to offics, apartmnts and condominiums, but many signs of th rivr s industrial past rmain Th Woonasquatuckt Rivr Watrshd Council and othrs ar working hard to clan up th rivr and turn it into a nw asst to th communitis of th watrshd Th rivr is bcoming a plac for popl and wildlif to find a bit of natur and scap th urban and suburban world for a whil In addition to th paddling opportunitis on th rivr thr ar also parks and paths throughout th watrshd, from th Audubon Socity of Rhod Island s Fort atur Rfug at th hadwatrs of th rivr in orth Smithfild, to th Frd Lippitt Woonasquatuckt Rivr Grnway Bik ath in rovidnc and Johnston This booklt is organizd into a sris of svn paddls, or placs in th watrshd to go paddling, starting at Woonasquatuckt Rsrvoir in th northrn part of th watrshd and working south and ast to th mouth of th rivr in rovidnc S th map on pags 4 and for an ovrviw of th paddls and thn turn to th individual paddls for mor dtails Som of th paddls can b strung togthr to crat a longr trip but at this tim it is difficult to mak a complt sourc to sa trip In th ara of Cntrdal, in orth rovidnc, thr is 2 an activ Suprfund sit that impacts both Allndal Mill ond and Lymans Mill ond Th EA has dmd that ths ponds ar saf to paddl on as long as rasonabl prcautions ar takn such as washing your hands aftr coming in contact with th watr and claning any mud off your shos and gar Howvr, sinc not many popl hav paddld in this ara rcntly du to th Suprfund sit, th portags around th four dams btwn Gryston and th Manton/Grnvill nu bridg ar not wll stablishd Thr ar also no public accss points on ths ponds Th Woonasquatuckt Rivr Watrshd Council is working to hav this ara cland up and is also looking into ways to mak this part of th rivr mor accssibl Blow this ara th rivr is opn to paddling but thr can still b watr quality issus During and aftr havy rains human pathogn lvls (g, bactria) in th rivr will b vry lvatd du to ovrflows from th swr systm, and it can tak a fw days for this to dissipat Th nw swag tunnl undr rovidnc has rducd but not liminatd this problm Swr ovrflows in dry wathr ar rarr but can happn du to problms in th swr systm Th rivr bottom and rivrbank sdimnts in th lowr rivr also hav many chmical contaminants in thm Safty This booklt cannot tach you saf paddling Larn bfor you go! If you ar unsur of your paddling skills considr an asir trip, considr taking a paddling classs, or com on on of th Woonasquatuckt Rivr Watrshd Council s organizd paddling outings, which ar opn to all skill lvls, from complt bginnrs to xprincd paddlrs RIC/KA, th AMC and many othr groups also offr opportunitis to gt out on th watr with xprincd ladrs Rmmbr that conditions can chang quickly as th rsult of both natural and human activity What was saf on day may b dangrous th nxt, spcially on a moving rivr whr it can b hard to stop or back up to gt out of dangr Rivrs chang vry day, so conditions on th rivr may diffr from what is dscribd in this guid Always war a lif jackt and clothing suitabl to th wathr conditions ay attntion to th wathr and th risks it may prsnt to paddlrs B spcially carful whn th watr is cold Cold watr kills, vn whn th air is warm, such as in th spring and arly summr Fishing (othr than catch and rlas) in th rivr blow th Smithfild Johnston lin, which crosss Gryston ond, is not rcommndd du to contamination in th rivr and th rivr-bottom sdimnts About th Woonasquatuckt Rivr Watrshd Council This booklt is a projct of th Woonasquatuckt Rivr Watrshd Council, with funding for th projct providd by th Rhod Island Rivrs Council Th Woonasquatuckt Rivr Watrshd Council, a 01c3 non-profit, works closly with fdral, stat, and local partnrs in th watrshd communitis of Glocstr, orth Smithfild, Smithfild, Johnston, rovidnc and orth rovidnc to rvitaliz th rivr and rclaim it as a natural, historic, rcrational, and conomic asst for Rhod Island Your donation will hlp us continu this work! For mor information plas visit our wbsit wrwcorg, call us at , or talk to us at on of our paddls or othr vnts! 3

4 lacs to addl Woonasquatuckt Rsrvoir 1 (Stump ond)pag 2 Stillwatr ond8 3 Gorgiavill ond 4 Gorgiavill to Gryston12 Gryston Mill ond14 Manton to Atwlls1 Downtown rovidnc18 Th Watrshd of th Woonasquatuckt Rivr orth Smithfild Rhod Island 11 Stillwatr ond Woonasquatuckt Rsrvoir 1 Glocstr 2 Exit 8 Gorgiavill 3 ond Smithfild For all Maps Exit Grayston Mill ond Allndal Mill ond atu Cano/Kayak Launch Lyman Mill ond iv Exit 3 4 Mils r arking 44 9 R Johnston ark or Othr rotctd Land 4 t Walking Trail or Bik ath Th data usd to crat th maps in this booklt cam from RIGIS and othr sourcs 1 orth rovidnc ck ortag qu Slack Rsrvoir as Boat Ramp 4 on Watrman Rsrvoir Wo Ky Woonasquatuckt Watrshd rovidnc

5 1 Woonasquatuckt Rsrvoir (Stump ond) Ovrviw: At 300 acrs and 23 mils long, Woonasquatuckt Rsrvoir in Smithfild is th largst watr body in th watrshd addling hr dos not involv any moving watr but th rsrvoir can dvlop larg wavs if thr is much wind Th shorlin in th northrn part is largly woodd Th southrn part is a bit mor suburban Th put-in on th wst sid is bttr for launching hand-carrid boats Mowry Consrvation Ara Old Forg Rd Farnum ik Woonasquatuckt Rivr Gtting Tak xit 8B off I-29 (north or south) in Smithfild This will put you on Rout (Douglas ik) hading north In about ¾ mil, at th scond light, turn lft onto Washington Highway (Rout 11) Go 1 mil to a T-junction To gt to th put-in on th ast sid of th rsrvoir turn right hr onto Farnum ik (Rout ) and look for a DEM fishing accss parking lot on th lft To gt to th put-in on th wst sid of th rsrvoir, turn lft at th T-junction, go 02 mils and turn right into lasant Viw nu (Rout 11) This will tak you across th rsrvoir on a causway At th nd of th causway turn right onto Log Road In 02 mils bar right at th fork to stay on Log Road In anothr 02 mils look for a parking lot on your right For launching hand-carrid boats, us th scond parking lot if possibl to lav th first lot fr for vhicls with trailrs Log Rd Woonasquatuckt Rsrvoir (Stump ond) Woonasquatuckt 11 Washington Hwy Rivr Stillwatr Scnic Trail What s Th shor at th put-in on th wst sid of th rsrvoir is sand and gravl vry suitabl for launching canos and kayaks You can put in hr and paddl up to th north nd, whr th Woonasquatuckt Rivr flows into th rsrvoir Th rivr hr quickly bcoms too shallow to paddl up but you can land and hav a picnic lunch on th big rock nxt to th mouth of th rivr and walk up an informal trail on th ast sid of th rivr to Mowry Consrvation Ara Watch out for poison ivy! Th southrn arm of th rsrvoir is also an intrsting paddl, but b prpard for a tight squz gtting undr th two pips that run undr th lasant Viw nu bridg Th southrn arm is narrowr than th main body of th rsrvoir and th wtlands along th shor ar a good plac to look for birds Woonasquatuckt Rsrvoir was built in 19 to provid a rliabl watr supply through th summr for th mills down rivr It was nvr a drinking watr rsrvoir Th local nam of Stump ond coms from th tr trunks that rmaind standing in th watr for many yars aftr th dam was built Ruls: hp limit on motors usd on th rsrvoir Also in th Ara: Mowry Consrvation Ara, at th north nd of th rsrvoir, is a bautiful natural ara with walking trails and a vry scnic sction of th Woonasquatuckt Rivr Mrcr Lookout, also calld Wolf Hill, and th Stillwatr Scnic Trail, also offr plasant options for walking Th lattr follows an old RR grad along th rivr Mann School Rd Log Rd 11 lasant Viw lasant Viw Stillwatr R Smithfild Consrvation Commission Mountaindal Rd Farnum ik It s usually possibl to squz undr th pips undr this bridg in a cano or kayak, but it s a tight squz Mrcr Lookout (Wolf Hill)

6 2 Stillwatr ond Washington Hwy Douglas ik Ovrviw: Th paddl down th Woonasquatuckt Rivr to Stillwatr ond and back is not a long trip but it taks you through th rmotst sction of th Woonasquatuckt accssibl to canos and kayaks Bfor raching Stillwatr ond th rivr cuts through a long north-south ridg, so th middl sction of this paddl is btwn stply sloping, rocky hills Unlss th watr is high, th rivr is slow and quit Th put-in blow th dam at Woonasquatuckt Rsrvoir is on rock rip-rap B carful! Th footing is unstabl and th rocks ar sharp For th first ¼ mil th rivr is narrow and ovrhung with trs, and thn it slowly opns out into Stillwatr ond At th southrn cornr of th pond, a mil from th put-in, thr is a good plac to gt out and tak a walk along th Stillwatr Scnic Trail 8 Gtting Tak xit 8B off I-29 (north or south) in Smithfild This will put you on Rout (Douglas ik) hading north In about ¾ mil, at th scond light, turn lft onto Washington Highway (Rout 11) Go 1 mil to a T-junction Turn right hr onto Farnum ik (Rout ), go 1 /3 mil and look for a DEM fishing accss parking lot on th lft To gt to Stillwatr ond put in blow th dam What s Th paddl to Stillwatr ond starts blow th dam at Woonasquatuckt Rsrvoir From th parking lot for th DEM fishing accss sit off Farnum ik follow th concrt path down to th bas of th dam and put in from th rock rip-rap thr Aftr passing undr Farnum ik th rivr is narrow and ovrhung with trs If th watr lvls ar low, som aras hr will b rocky If it is unusually high thr can b nough currnt to mak th paddling mor challnging In 1 /3 mil you will pass undr th high arch of th Stillwatr Viaduct, built by th WA during th Grat Dprssion Hr th rivr slowly starts to opn out until you rach Stillwatr ond, ¾ mil from th put-in Sinc it is small and has no major roads nar it, Stillwatr ond is gnrally pacful and calm addl to th southrn cornr of th pond and you will find a good plac to tak out just a littl bfor th dam Th Stillwatr Scnic Trail runs clos th shor hr Hading southast along th trail taks you through th woods nar th spillway that drains Stillwatr ond (xcpt whn watr lvls ar vry low whn all th watr lavs th pond via th othr channl) Look for sid trails hading down towards th rivr and follow ths to gt a closr look at th prtty but rocky and turbulnt rivr Watch out for poison ivy Th dam that crats Stillwatr ond has a vrtical fac on th down rivr sid so th northastrn arm of Capron ond is not accssibl from Stillwatr ond Onc you hav xplord Stillwatr ond, turn around and paddl back up to th put-in For th last 1 /3 mil, from Stillwatr Viaduct to th put-in, you will b paddling against som currnt but usually not a lot Howvr, if th rivr is high Log Rd Woonasquatuckt Rsrvoir 11 lasant Viw Woonasquatuckt Farnum ik Mrcr Lookout (Wolf Hill) Rivr Stillwatr Scnic Trail Stillwatr ond Capron Road Kan Rd Stillwatr Road Capron ond ITERSTATE 29 Thurbr Blvd Gorgiavill ond thr can b too much currnt to paddl against In that cas tak out at th south nd of th viaduct, walk undr it up to th Stillwatr Trail, turn right and follow th trail back to Farnum ik Turn right and go ¼ mil up th pik to th put-in Also in A put-in off Capron Road that provids accss to Capron ond, which is vn th Ara: smallr than Stillwatr Th marshs that bordr it mak it a good plac for birds addling th rivr from Capron ond to Gorgiavill ond is not rcommndd bcaus of th short, stp drop in th rivr as it ntrs th tunnls undr I-29 and th potntial for strainrs undr I-29 and Capron Road Th mil-long Stillwatr Scnic Trail parallls this paddl, running on th rout of th formr rovidnc & Springfild Railroad, which ran bsid th rivr Thr ar small parking aras at both nds of th trail, but th nd at Farnum ik is th rcommndd starting point sinc th parking ara thr is largr and asir to find Th trail is broad and lvl so th walking is asy Th scnry is prtty, with viws of th rivr, Stillwatr ond and Capron ond 9

7 3 Gorgiavill ond Stillwatr Trail Capron ond Douglas ik Ovrviw: Gorgiavill ond is a prtty, suburban pond covring about 0 acrs, with a town bach, boat ramp and park at th south nd, and two pin-tr clad islands in th southwst cornr Houss lin much of th shorlin but th houss ar largly st back a bit from th shor and surroundd by trs, so th pond fls mor rural than it is Motorboats and prsonal watrcraft ( Jt Skis ) ar prmittd on th pond so on a warm summr wknd th pond can b a busy plac S th ruls sction blow for information on th rquird passs and prmits Capron Rd Smith-Applby Hous Musum Stillwatr Road Limrock Road Gtting Tak Exit A off I-29 (north or south) in Smithfild This will put you on Rout 44 (utnam ik) hading ast At th first traffic light turn lft onto Esmond Strt Go 08 mils on Esmond and thn turn lft onto Rout (Watrman nu) Go 0 mils northwst on Rout, which turns into Farnum ik Turn right onto Stillwatr Road and go 02 mils and turn lft into th town park ITERSTATE 29 Ridg Road What s Ruls: Also in th Ara: A circuit around Gorgiavill ond maks for a nic vning paddl ut in at th boat ramp and go clockwis or countrclockwis around th pond, going bhind th pin-tr clad islands Stop at th small landing at th ast nd of th arthn dam that crats th pond and walk up on top of th dam for viws of th scnic, rock-lind spillway If you ar planning to paddl down th Woonasquatuckt Rivr blow th pond this is th plac to portag around th spillway to th rivr At th north nd of th pond, if th currnt is not too strong, you can xplor up th Woonasquatuckt to whr it flows out from undr I-29 Th old rivr channl, ast of th currnt channl, is now a backwatr nxt to th Smith-Applby Hous Musum Th town bach, park and boat ramp ar opn to th public and not limitd to town rsidnts, but all usrs must pay for ithr a day or sasonal pass and boatrs must also purchas a stickr for thir boat For mor information contact th Smithfild Rcration Dpartmnt at or visit th thm at th Smithfild Ic Rink, 9 lasant Viw nu to purchas your stickrs and passs Th town bach and park ar plasant placs to visit vn if you ar not going paddling Thr ar picnic tabls shadd by hug old trs, rst rooms (opn in th summr), and you can walk along th dam to s th scnic spillway Th Smith-Applby Hous Musum at th north nd of th pond prsrvs on of th fw 1th cntury homs still standing in Rhod Island Th oldst part of th hous was built circa 19 by Elisha Smith, grandson of on of th six mn who accompanid Rogr Williams whn h lft th Massachustts Bay Colony in 13 to sttl rovidnc Th hous is on th ational Rgistr of Historic lacs and is run as a musum by Smithfild Historical Socity Mor dtails ar Farnum ik Old County Road Gorgiavill ond Wolf Hill Rd Town Hall Gorgiavill Town Bach Stillwatr Stillwatr Road Road Whippl Homstad Rock Spillway availabl on th wbsit smithapplbyhousorg Th hous is only opn during schduld vnts so chck th wbsit bfor planning a visit Th Gorgiavill nighborhood, just south of th town park, is a historic mill villag with houss built to rsmbl English housing to attract English mill workrs Cross St Whippl Fi 11

8 oad 4 Gorgiavill to Gryston Ovrviw: addling th Woonasquatuckt Rivr from blow Gorgiavill ond to Gryston Mill ond is an intrsting 2½ mil run for xprincd paddlrs Th rivr in this ara is a mix of flatwatr, quickwatr and class I whitwatr Th scnry rangs from dns forst to parks and playing filds to old mill buildings to suburban houss Thr ar a numbr of placs whr you can put in and tak out Th longst trip involvs putting in at th Gorgiavill Town Bach boat ramp, portaging th dam and spillway and paddling down rivr to th south nd of Gryston Mill ond, portaging around Esmond dam on th way; but you can also put in or tak out at Whippl Fild and blow th dam at Esmond ark Th rivr lvl is critical for this paddl At CFS on th USGS gaug at Cntrdal* you will b hitting rocks fairly rgularly and will hav to gt out and lift your boat ovr rocky aras occasionally At 200 CFS th rapids will b gtting washd out, th currnt will b swift but smoothr than at lowr watr lvls, and th dam at Esmond may vn b runabl Howvr, at this rivr lvl you will also hav lss tim to dodg obstacls, and strainrs (trs down in th rivr that can trap and drown paddlrs) can prsnt a srious hazard Bfor paddling at any watr lvl, stop at Esmond ark and dcid how you plan to handl th low Esmond dam, just abov th footbridg ovr th rivr Whn th rivr is high it can somtims b run At mdium to lowr watr lvls it will usually nd to b portagd, which involvs som bushwhacking From Gorgiavill ond all th way to Gryston Mill ond you should b rady for trs down across th rivr Gtting For dirctions to Gorgiavill ond s paddl #3 For dirctions to Gryston Mill ond s paddl # Esmond ark and Whippl Fild may b found using th map at right Th parking ara for Esmond ark is ¼ mil north of th junction of Esmond Strt and Farnum ik Gorgiavill ond Wolf Hill Rd Gorgiavill Town Bach Stillwatr Farnum ik Town Hall Road Whippl Homstad Old County Road Rock Spillway Stillwatr Road Cross Strt Whippl Fild Esmond ark Esmond Dam Whippl Road Fnwood Lincoln High Whitman St Strt St Brachd Dam Woonasquatuckt Rivr Ridg Road Douglas ik 12 What s Starting from th Gorgiavill ond boat ramp, paddl north and ast until you rach th small landing nar th spillway Tak out hr and carry your boat up th stps to th top of th dam and th look to th right for th trail lading down to th rivr blow th unrunabl spillway Watch out for poison ivy Blow th spillway thr is about 00 ft of class I whitwatr Aftr a sharp bnd in th rivr, th currnt slows down a bit From hr to Esmond th rivr altrnats btwn slowr rachs and short riffls or rapids Th low bank at Whippl Fild, 0 mils blow Gorgiavill ond, offrs th first good tak-out At 09 mils you will s a marsh opning up on your lft This is a sign that th Esmond Dam and Esmond ark ar just around th cornr At most rivr lvls this dam must b portagd, which is somtims difficult du to th lack of a good takout abov th dam owdr Mill Ldgs * Th USGS rivr gaug data from th Cntrdal station Wildlif ar availabl on-lin on a nar ral-tim basis at: Rfug Watrman nu Gryston Mill ond From th Esmond Dam it is about 02 mils to th rmnants of a low, brachd dam in front of th Bnny s buildings If th rivr is high this ara can b run At lowr lvls you will likly hav to stop and lift your boat ovr th rocks Onc past this dam a short sction of quickwatr taks you th had of Gryston Mill ond Th tak-out is 0 mils ahad at th south nd of th pond 44 For mor on Gryston Mill ond s paddl # utnam ik to Rt 44 Esmond Strt Dan nu Gryston Mill ond Esmond Mill Dr 13 -

9 Gryston Mill ond Strt Woonasquatuckt Rivr Ovrviw: Gryston Mill ond is a narrow, winding pond cratd by th dam at Gryston Thr ar a numbr of small wtlands along th pond Houss lin both sid of th pond but th wtlands kp th houss st back a bit in many aras, so thy ar lss visibl from th watr Crickt ark, at th south nd of th pond, has a cano and kayak launch In 2012 this launch is to b upgradd to mak it handicappd accssibl A handicappd accssibl fishing dock is bing built narby, along with a boardwalk ovrlooking th pond Th pond is all of about 300 ft across at th south nd, and this is by far th largst opn ara on Gryston ond Abov hr it quickly narrows down to a winding channl and bcoms a rivr again, but it is oftn possibl to paddl uprivr as far as th Bnny s complx Th Smithfild swag tratmnt plant dischargs tratd swag into th pond ½ mil abov th put-in Whil th tratd swag normally mts watr quality standards you should wash your hands aftr coming in contact with th watr utnam ik Esmond Esmond Mill Dr Watrman nu 44 Dan nu utnam ik Rivrsid nu Gryston Mill ond 14 Gtting What s From I-29 (north or south) tak xit A for Rout 44 and orth rovidnc This will put you on Rout 44 ast (utnam ik) Go 1 mil and turn lft onto Angll nu at th blinking light Go 02 mils on Angll nu and turn lft onto Rivrsid nu at th stop sign At this turn Crickt ark will b in front of you Aftr turning onto Rivrsid nu th parking lot for th park will b on your right You can also park along th Rivrsid nu, but plas b carful not to block traffic It is too narrow in placs to allow for saf parking From th put-in at Crickt ark, had towards th far (ast) shor to gt to th main channl and thn turn lft Stay away from th dam in th southast cornr of th pond bcaus a cano or kayak could gt swpt ovr this dam! Onc in th main channl it is asy to s whr to go and you hav only to paddl and njoy th scnry In 0 mils you will com to a bridg (Esmond Mill Driv) Around hr you will start to notic mor currnt pushing against you but it is gnrally possibl to paddl anothr ¼ mil to th bridg at th Bnny s Complx Hr you will find a strongr currnt pushing against you and thr is also a brachd dam not far up th rivr from hr For information on paddling th rivr abov hr s paddl #4 Onc you hav gon as far up th pond and rivr as you want to or can, turn around and paddl back to th put-in, stopping along th way to xplor th covs and backwatrs, if you want to addling on th Woonasquatuckt Rivr blow Crickt ark is difficult until you gt to th Manton nu/grnvill nu bridg ot far blow Crickt ark thr is a mill building that straddls th rivr and dbris oftn hangs up Angll nu Crickt ark Gryston hr, blocking passag down rivr Blow this building th rivr ntrs a Suprfund sit that includs Allndal and Lymans Mill onds, th nxt two ponds on th rivr Th EA has dmd ths ponds saf to paddl on as long as rasonabl prcautions ar takn such as washing your hands aftr coming in contact with th watr and claning any mud off your shos and gar Howvr, sinc not many popl hav paddld in this ara rcntly th portags around th four dams btwn Gryston and th Manton/Grnvill nu bridg ar not wll stablishd Thr ar also no public accss points on ths ponds Also in Crickt ark is so namd bcaus th English mill workrs who livd in th ara th Ara: usd to play crickt hr Howvr, th crack of th crickt bat is no longr hard choing ovr th pond Instad, walking trails and a gazbo ar schduld to b built in 2012, along with a bttr cano and kayak launch, and a fishing dock 1

10 idg Glnbr utaconkanut Hill ark y ll Va M a Rivrsid nto Bik n ath ark A Mrino ark Hartfo rd n u os t St Eagl Squar Atwlls Donigian ark pp l nu on Butt Cours nu v r n A Riv nto Golf Ma hol t ly Str Rivr Chalkston ck t Killing 1 u nt n lasa Mount Gr n W vill oon asq uat u Gtting To gt to th put-in at th Manton nu/grnvill nu bridg tak Rout wst out of rovidnc Tak th Killingly Strt xit and bar right off th ramp onto Killingly Go 08 mils and turn right onto Grnvill nu In 02 mils, turn right onto Travr nu and thn tak an immdiat lft onto Hillsid and park nar th bik path Th map at right should hlp you find th othr put-ins What s At Hillsid nu thr is no formal boat launch Th bst accss as of this writing is not far blow th bridg, nar th historic markr Watch out for poison ivy! Th nxt ¼ mil of rivr is largly quickwatr with occasional slowr strtchs As you approach th sit of th formr dam at Dyrvill, ½ mil blow th put-in, th rivr opns out and slows down Thr was just nough of this old dam lft to catch dbris and block fish passag so in 2009 a sction was rmovd laving a clar passag for fish and boats Watch out for rmnants of th old dam Blow Dyrvill th rivr s pac picks up a bit, with a strtch of mor significant quickwatr followd by a slowr sction, followd by som mild class I rapids blow Glnbridg nu If th watr lvl is low this is a sction whr you will rally notic it At 0 CFS on th USGS gaug at Cntrdal* you will hit an occasional rock but if you ar good at spotting and dodging rocks in whitwatr you should not hav to gt out too oftn to lift your boat off th rocks Aftr going undr Rout for th first tim thr is anothr sction of class I whitwatr Just blow this rapid look out for th rmnants of an old bridg across th rivr Brush oftn accumulats hr crating th potntial for dangrous strainrs In anothr 400 ft th rivr taks a sharp bnd to th lft at Mrino ark, 1¼ mils from th put-in at Manton nu Aftr passing Mrino ark, th rivr gos undr Rout again and thn bnds to th right and passs undr a high footbridg, just blow which is th most difficult rapid on this sction of th rivr At most watr lvls th rivr pushs you straight towards a tr that projcts out into th rivr If you ar not confidnt of your ability to dodg this tr, portag ovr th (slippry) rocks to th lft Aftr ths rapids th rivr ntrs anothr quit sction lading up to th dam at Rivrsid ark Thr is a cano launch hr nxt to th bik path, which maks a good plac to tak out, or you can portag around th dam and fish laddr and kp going down th rivr Blow th dam th rivr runs btwn vrtical walls Fruit Hill on asqu atu ck t nton Ma ond Ovrviw: Th Woonasquatuckt Rivr from Manton nu to Atwlls nu is an urban rivr, with attndant watr quality issus, spcially aftr a havy rain Howvr, it offrs som intrsting paddling for xprincd paddlrs and th first half is surprisingly woodd Th rivr is a mix of flatwatr, quickwatr and occasional mild whitwatr, with various rmindrs along th way of th rivr s industrial history, som of which crat additional challngs for paddlrs o W Manton to Atwlls y dwa Broa nu Olnyvill Squar trt lainfild S through th Atlantic Mills complx Thr is a pip undr on of th bridgs in this complx that at most watr lvls you can duck undr asily but at high watr can b a dangrous trap! Aftr passing Atlantic Mills you will quickly com to Olnyvill Squar, 21 mils from th Manton nu put-in 400 ft downrivr from Olnyvill Squar is th sit of th formr aragon Dam This dam was rmovd in 20 to allow fish and boats to travl this sction of th rivr again Th ara is now a rapid Scout bfor attmpting to run it Sinc this is a nw rapid as of this writing it is not yt clar what conditions will b lik at diffrnt rivr lvls A quartr mil blow hr is th Rising Sun Dam, th last dam on th rivr This dam must b portagd Thr is a good tak out on th lft You can ithr carry downrivr 20 ft to a stp put-in or continu anothr 40 ft to whr thr ar stps down to th rivr nar Vally St Blow Donigian ark th rivr winds through a dns urban nighborhood, oftn btwn vrtical walls, but with trs ovrhanging much of th rivr Th quickwatr in this sction is th last challng bfor you gt to Atwlls nu and th Eagl Squar complx, whr th rivr bcoms strongly influncd by th tids, 29 mils blow th put-in at Manton nu For mor on paddling from hr to th mouth of th rivr, s paddl # * Th USGS rivr gaug data from th Cntrdal station ar availabl on-lin on a nar ral-tim basis at: 1

11 t ys Mm Dyr St y dwa Broa t Downtown rovidnc Str in Atwlls l oria Angll St v A Watrman Ma d Blv tr St South Watr St Landing St int o 19 ns All do n kn Wic St nc vid ro Rivr ITERSTATE St ton s an Cr Broad St RI Stat Hous t Str idg Strt Watrplac ark is Harr ns Wstmi 9 an Glnbr Rivr ITERSTATE D p p Al 18 B Eagl Squar lainfil What s Whil th tid starts to influnc th rivr in a small way at Donigian ark, it bcoms significant blow Atwlls nu and Eagl Squar Thr ar shallow aras in th rivr both at Eagl Squar and abov th Dan Strt/lasant Vally arkway bridg that mak it hard to paddl ths aras at low tid So high tid is gnrally th bttr tim to paddl this sction of th rivr Also, it can b hard work paddling uprivr against a strong bb tid If th tid is vry high it can b a tight squz gtting undr th first bridg abov rovidnc lac Mall utting in at South Watr Strt landing, to gt to th Woonasquatuckt Rivr had north up th rovidnc Rivr towards th low arch bridgs Thr is oftn othr boat traffic on th rivr in this ara so b rady to gt out of th way of largr boats that may not hav much ability to manuvr Th rivr in this ara is lind with ston walls, with plantings and walkways along much of th rivr Whn you com to a fork in th rivr, 04 mils from th put-in, stay lft to go up th Woonasquatuckt Going right hr would tak you up th Moshassuck Rivr, which quickly bcoms too shallow to paddl Going up th Woonasquatuckt, you will quickly com to th circular basin of Watrplac ark, just down th hill from th Stat Hous Continuing uprivr from hr on Wo ik ath utaconkanut To gt to South Watr Strt Landing, from Hill I-9ark (north or south) tak xit 22A Gtting in downtown rovidnc At th first light, go straight onto Mmorial Boulvard At th sixth light, turn lft onto South Watr Strt, which will put you on a bridg across th rovidnc Rivr Aftr crossing th rivr th road maks a sharp right turn Th landing is about 02 mils ahad on your right, nar th round gazbo and th circular silvr sculptur Thr is on-strt parking on both sids of th strt nar th landing Bring quartrs for th parking mtrs t ll uck Va asquat Acorn St nu v r n A Riv nto t ly Str lf l Go onho Butt Cours Killing Ovrviw: In th urban hart of rovidnc th Woonasquatuckt joins th Moshassuck to form th rovidnc Rivr, which in turn bcoms th had of arraganstt Bay addling hr provids a nw prspctiv on th city: th rush of traffic is a littl mor distant and you ar fr to float along th rivr at your own pac This sction of th rivr is also hom to Watrfir Whn thr is a Watrfir an undrway th rivr is closd to canos, kayaks, and most othr boatrivrsid traffic Mfrom to n th Crawford Strt Bridg to th Mall, so planyou trip accordingly ark Thr ar two ways to paddl this sction of th rivr For a round trip you can nu o Mrino put in at South Watr Strt Landing, paddl uprivr to Eagl Squar, and thn St ark artford is to put in at turn around and paddl back to th put-in Anothr Hoption nu is som Donigian ark and paddl down to South Watr Strt Thr quickwatr btwn Donigian and Eagl Squar so lss xprincd paddlrs should choos th round-trip option from South Watr Strt For mor dtails on th rivr abov Eagl Squar, s paddl # d Strt St Sm Orms ith lasant Vally kwy Elmwo od Ma t uck nu uat Chalkston Moshassuck R asq Donigian ark oon Chalkston Gr n vill nd mo Ray St Downtown rovidnc W Rivr nt lasa Mount l nton Ma ond uc k t taks you undr rovidnc lac Mall, th Amtrak rail lin, and Intrstat 9, among othr things A paddlr can fl vry small hr amidst all th concrt and stl Onc clar of this complx, th rivr opns out a littl for th nxt half mil and trs start to lin th banks, although busy roads ar nvr far away Abov Acorn Strt th rivr s charactr changs again From hr to Eagl Squar th rivr is narrow and ovrhung with trs and whil still urban, fls mor pacful Th rivrbanks ar largly vrtical ston walls, so accss in and out of th rivr is difficult or impossibl Old mills, now largly rbuilt, lin th rivr and signs of old industry ar vidnt As you ntr th Eagl Squar complx th rivrbanks start to opn out again and trs bcom fwr If th tid is high nough and th rivr s currnt not too strong you can gt to a point whr th rivr taks a sharp bnd to th lft around a small gravl bar, 2 mils from th put-in In an mrgncy it would b possibl to tak out hr Abov hr, if th rivr s flow is low it will b too shallow to paddl, and if th rivr is high thr will b too much currnt to paddl against So, hr is whr you must turn around and had back down rivr to th put-in From South Watr Strt Landing you can also had south undr th oint Strt bridg and out to th hurrican barrir Larg boats, strong currnts, wind and wavs ar common in this ara, spcially nar and outsid th hurrican barrir, whr you ar in th ort of rovidnc 19