Narragansett Bay

Narragansett Bay is located west of Buzzards Bay on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 square miles, the bay forms New England’s largest estuary, with 26 square miles within Massachusetts. The Bay and all the rivers that flow into it provide spawning grounds, nurseries, and habitat for more than 60 species of fish and shellfish, more than 200 bird species, and many marine mammals. Five towns bordering the bay, within Massachusetts, are included in this report — Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Rehoboth, and Seekonk.

The economy of the region is very much tied to the water with Fall River a designated cargo port and several towns supported by the fishing and recreation industries. The newly developing offshore wind industry is also expected to bring additional investments into both Fall River and Somerset. A decommissioned coal-fired power plant in Somerset, for example, will be the site of a new sub-sea cable manufacturing facility.

The communities of Narragansett Bay are aware of the threats they face from the impacts of climate change, particularly sea level rise and flooding. Over the last decade, Rhode Island universities, local and state officials, and environmental organizations, including Save the Bay, have made huge strides assisting communities with coastal resilience preparedness. With over 1,200 buildings and 28 miles of roadway projected to be inundated in a 10-year storm as soon as 2050 [CIT. 5], communities recognize the need to adapt infrastructure as well as think strategically about retreat.

The impacts of sea level rise and increased storm events threaten the health of coastal habitat such as salt marshes, as well as water quality within the bay. Over the last 200 years, it is estimated that over 90% of the historic eelgrass beds were lost due to both human and natural causes [CIT. 38]. More recently, water quality degradation has impeded the re-growth of these beds, resulting in declining shellfish populations [CIT. 38].

At the outset of this year’s report process, calls with town staff were conducted to understand the main challenges and areas where adaptation is needed. These discussions coupled with information from Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness plans for each community, painted a picture of vulnerabilities and resilience needs not unlike the communities in neighboring Buzzards Bay.