News – Narrabay

Apply for a NBC 2024 Environmental Merit Award Today!

The Narragansett Bay Commission is proud to announce its thirtieth annual Environmental Merit Awards.

Each year, the Narragansett Bay Commission honors companies that have gone beyond compliance using pollution prevention techniques and approaches, have implemented stormwater mitigation technologies, and those companies that have achieved perfect compliance records. The future economic and environmental well- being of Rhode Island is dependent upon industry working together with environmental agencies like the Narragansett Bay Commission to reduce or eliminate waste. The Narragansett Bay Commission’s Environmental Merit Awards program provides an opportunity for companies to receive public recognition for operational advances behind the scenes that have helped protect the environment.

The Narragansett Bay Commission’s Environmental Merit Award winners set the standards for all regulated businesses. Other businesses are encouraged to achieve this level of success with the help of the Narragansett Bay Commission’s Pollution Prevention Program. The non-regulatory Pollution Prevention Program helps the industrial community find environmentally and economically sound ways of eliminating or reducing the generation of industrial wastes and pollutants.

We welcome your nomination for this year’s Environmental Merit Awards. Nominations are due March 5, 2025. Download the nomination form here.

NBC Announces 2025 Chairman’s River Restoration Earth Day Clean Up Grants

The Narragansett Bay Commission (NBC) is offering grants ranging from $250 up to $1,000 for local Earth Day River and Lake Cleanups, restoration or beautification projects for areas located within the NBC service area or along NBC receiving waters. The goal of the NBC 2025 Earth Day River Cleanup Grant Program is to clean up our important environmental resources by providing funding assistance to local organizations restoring and improving the green spaces in their communities. Deadline for applications is February 14, 2025.

The grants may be used for Earth Day volunteer cleanup projects of green spaces and river, lake and pond cleanup projects located within the NBC service district or along NBC receiving waters. Projects that include an educational component to educate volunteers about some aspect of the environment, environmental restoration, protection are preferred. All sections of the grant application, including the project description form must be completed. Applications must be accompanied with an invoice on organizational letterhead with the grant award total request listed. The invoice must have the letterhead of your organization. An invoice template is attached for your use. Please tailor the template to your organization’s needs. Any incomplete grant application forms received will not be considered. Only one application per project will be considered, and projects must be completed no later than September 8, 2025. The range of funding for any single project shall be between $250 and $1,000, depending upon the number of applicants and funding availability.

Download the grant application here.

November 20, 2024

On November 20^th, 2024, twenty stations were sampled for fecal coliform bacteria in the Providence and Seekonk Rivers; five of these stations were also sampled for enterococci bacteria. In the five days prior to sampling, no precipitation was recorded at TF Green. Overall, bacteria counts in both the Providence and Seekonk Rivers were lower compared to previous sampling (November 7^th, 2024).

Fecal coliform counts were higher in the Seekonk River sites than in the Providence River sites (geometric means of 14 MPN/100 mL and 9 MPN/100 mL, respectively). The maximum count (93 MPN/100 mL) was measured at Point St. Bridge.

Enterococci results had an overall geometric mean of 15 MPN/100 mL. Enterococci counts ranged from <10 MPN/100 mL at most sites to 75 MPN/100 mL at Point St. Bridge.

The next scheduled sampling date is December 4th.

The table below lists the Rhode Island bacteria standards for primary contact and shellfishing established by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM). RIDEM defines primary contact as any recreational activities in which there is prolonged and intimate contact with water, involving considerable risk of ingesting water (e.g., swimming, diving, water skiing and surfing). Please note that the RIDEM bacteria standards are provided here for informational purposes only and are not intended to indicate official state compliance with primary contact or shellfishing standards.

Summary of Rhode Island Bacteria Standards for Saltwater Primary Contact and Shellfishing

	Fecal Coliform	Enterococci
Primary Contact¹	Geometric mean ≤50 MPN/100 mL <10% of samples >400 MPN/100 mL	Geometric mean ≤35 colonies/100 mL All samples ≤104 colonies/100 mL²
Shellfishing	Geometric mean ≤14 MPN/100 mL <10% of samples >49 MPN/100 mL³	NO ENTEROCOCCI CRITERIA

¹Fecal coliform primary contact criteria applied only when adequate enterococci data are not available; ²Single sample maximum criterion for determining beach swimming advisories at designated beaches as evaluated by the Rhode Island Department of Health; ³For a three-tube decimal dilution

Table adapted from Rhode Island Water Quality Regulations (250-RICR-150-05-1); see regulations for complete details.

November 18, 2024

The Data Stream deployed on a chilly but otherwise beautiful November day. The team retrieved the Bullock’s Reach Sondes for the final time in the 2024 season. The buoy is scheduled to be removed from the water for the winter in early December. The picture below was taken while on route. In the distant background, accentuated by a rainbow, you can see the wind turbines from Johnson & Wales University and Narragansett Bay Commission’s Field’s Point Wastewater Treatment Facility.

November 7, 2024

Surface chlorophyll data were collected on November 7, 2024, while the R/V Monitor was underway collecting nutrient samples in the Providence and Seekonk River estuary. The average chlorophyll concentrations were categorized as good in all areas surveyed. Overall, chlorophyll ranged from 0.53 µg/L to 17.57 µg/L with an average of 2.89 µg/L. The chlorophyll concentrations from this date are presented in the map below using Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation.

October 30, 2024

Phytoplankton samples were collected on October 30, 2024 at Bullock’s Reach and analyzed in the laboratory shortly after collection. Weather conditions and Sonde data were not recorded on this day. The qualitative tow net sample had a moderate filtration time. The filtrate was slightly cloudy with some golden brown particulates. The analysis of the quantitative whole water sample revealed a total of 260,000 cells/L. The microflagellates were found at 100,000 cells/L. The most predominant phytoplankton genera were Chaetoceros spp. at 104,000 cells/L, Leptocylindrus spp. at 26,000 cells/L, and Skeletonema spp. at 18,000 cells/L. Proboscia alata, shown here in a 100x phase contrast micrograph, is a solitary or chain-forming diatom that can measure up to 1mm in length. They are identified by the presence of a proboscis with a truncated tip and offset claspers. These diatoms are an oceanic, temperate water species and are sometimes found near the coast.

October 30, 2024

Water clarity was measured at seven locations in the Providence River and Seekonk River estuaries on October 30, 2024. In the five days prior to the survey, 0.03 inches of precipitation were recorded at TF Green. Secchi depth averaged 5.5 meters. The lowest clarity this week (2.9 meters) was measured at Phillipsdale Landing, while the greatest clarity (8.5 meters) was measured at Bullock Reach Buoy. There was a general north-to-south trend of increasing water clarity among the sites this week. Overall, water clarity increased from the previous measurements (data collected October 23, 2024).

October 9, 2024

The crew of the Data Stream were performing routine bacteria sampling when they observed two bald eagles flying high in the sky above the Seekonk River near Phillipsdale Landing in East Providence.

September 4, 2024

Nutrient samples were collected from seven river stations and seven bay stations on September 4th. All bay stations were sampled at the surface and bottom. In the five days prior to sampling, there was trace precipitation recorded at T.F. Green.

Among the river stations sampled, the highest total nitrogen (TN) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) were observed at Blackstone River @ Stateline (TN = 1,340 ppb, TDN = 1,560 ppb). The highest dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentration was observed at Moshassuck River @ Footbridge at Mill St. (1,158 ppb). The lowest TN and TDN were observed at Blackstone River @ Slater Mill (TN = 951 ppb, TDN = 958 ppb), while the lowest DIN was observed at Pawtuxet River @ Broad St. (665 ppb).

Among the bay stations sampled, the highest surface total nitrogen (TN), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) were observed at Pawtuxet Cove (TN = 963 ppb, TDN = 610 ppb, DIN = 368 ppb). The lowest surface TN and TDN were at Conimicut Point (TN = 456 ppb, TDN = 167 ppb, average of duplicates), while the lowest surface DIN concentrations were observed at Conimicut Point, Edgewood Yacht Club and Pomham Rocks (13 ppb, reflecting minimum detection limits).

The next scheduled sampling date is September 18, 2024.

August 7, 2024

Water column profiles were conducted at seven locations in the Providence and Seekonk River estuaries on August 7, 2024 using a Seabird Electronics profiler. In the five days leading up to the survey, 0.95 inches of precipitation were recorded at T.F. Green. Water column stratification at the sites varied from weakly stratified at Pawtuxet Cove and Edgewood Yacht Club, to strongly stratified at Conimicut Point.

Dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions were below the hypoxia threshold (2.9 mg/L) in the lower portion of the water column at Edgewood Yacht Club, in the middle and lower portions of the water column at Pomham Rocks, and in all portions of the water column (upper, middle and lower) at India Point Park and Phillipsdale Landing. The highest fluorescence readings for the week were measured around 2 meters below the surface at Edgewood Yacht Club.