Kickamuit River - Wikipedia

Kickamuit River Kickemuit River
An informational display tells the history of the Kickamuit River.
Etymology	Narragansett
Location
Country	United States
Cities	Warren, Rhode Island Rehoboth, Massachusetts

The Kickamuit River is a river in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island flowing approximately 7.9 miles (12.7 km).^[1]

History

The river's name descends from a Narragansett dialect and has numerous spellings.

During the American Revolutionary War, the Kickamuit was a major traffic artery, and supplies traveled up the river daily.^[2] By the 1800s, oyster beds were a major revenue source, but by 1910, the Parker Mills and sewage pollution killed most of the oysters.^[2] The Kickamuit River oyster industry was finished off by the Hurricane of 1938.^[2]

In 2002, the Environmental Protection Agency judged it too polluted for recreation and shell-fishing.

Current day (2011), the Kickamuit River is classified as a Class A, Type II Waterway and open to both recreational activities and shell-fishing due to the tremendous efforts and work by environmental organizations like the Kickemuit River Council, Warren, R.I.

Kickamuit River panorama taken at Warren Bike Path. Remains of train bridge in center.

Course

The river's source is in Rehoboth, Massachusetts in the swamps north of Locust Street in Swansea. From here it flows due south to Swansea and into the Warren Reservoir, which drains approximately 2,300 acres (9.3 km²). From Warren Reservoir it flows generally southwest, then southeast to Mount Hope Bay, passing to the east of the center of the town of Warren, Rhode Island and ending northeast of Bristol. The Kickamuit Reservoir dam forms the boundary between fresh and salt water.

Crossings

Below is a list of crossings over the Kickamuit River. The list starts at the headwaters and goes downstream.

Swansea, Massachusetts
- Locust Street
- Reed Street
- Interstate 195
- Stephen French Road
- Colletti Lane
- Fall River Avenue (U.S. 6)
- Burnside Drive
- Lynnwood Road
- Bushee Road
Warren, Rhode Island
- Schoolhouse Road
- Child Street (RI 103)

Tributaries

Heath Brook is the Kickamuit River's only named tributary, though it has many unnamed streams that also feed it.

References

^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012-04-05 at WebCite, accessed April 1, 2011
^ ^a ^b ^c "History of the Kickemuit River". RI Department of Environmental Management. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |format= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)

External links

Kickemuit River Council

Rivers of Rhode Island by drainage system

Block Island Sound

Point Judith Pond	Saugatucket River

Long Island Sound

Little Narragansett Bay (Pawcatuck River Watershed)	Ashaway River Beaver River Chipuxet River Flat River (Wood) Green Fall River Pawcatuck River Queen River Usquepaug River Wood River
Thames River Watershed	Moosup River

Narragansett Bay

Pettaquamscutt River Watershed	Mattatuxet River Pettaquamscutt River
Potowomut River Watershed	Hunt River Potowomut River
Providence River Watershed	Abbott Run Big River Blackstone River Branch River Carr River Chepachet River Chockalog River Clear River Congdon River Flat River (South Branch Pawtuxet) Mill River Millers River Mishnock River Moshassuck River Moswansicut River Nipmuc River Nooseneck River North Branch Pawtuxet River Pascoag River Pawtuxet River Peters River Pocasset River Ponaganset River Providence River Seekonk River Sevenmile River South Branch Pawtuxet River Stillwater River Ten Mile River West River Wilde River Woonasquatucket River
Sakonnet River Watershed	Maidford River Maiford River Quaket River Sakonnet River
Warren River Watershed	Barrington River Palmer River Runnins River Warren River
Others	Annaquatucket River Kickamuit River Maskerchugg River Pine River

Rivers of Massachusetts by drainage system

Atlantic Ocean

Buzzards Bay	Acushnet River Agawam River Back River Copicut River Crooked River Mattapoisett River Nasketucket River Paskamanset River Pocasset River Sippican River Slocums River Wankinco River Westport River Weweantic River
Nantucket Sound	Bass River Bumps River Childs River Coonamesset River Mashpee River Mitchell River Oyster Pond River Popponesset Creek Quashnet River Santuit River
Others	Tiasquam River

Gulf of Maine

Cape Cod Bay	Bluefish River Eel River Herring River Jones River Little Pamet River Pamet River Town Brook
Massachusetts Bay	Aberjona River Alewife Brook Canton River Charles River Chelsea Creek Cochato River Fore River Fresh River Indian Head River Malden River Millers River Monatiquot River Muddy River Mystic River Neponset River North River Saugus River Stony Brook (Boston) Stony Brook (Waltham) Stop River Weir River Weymouth Back River
Merrimack River Watershed	Artichoke River Assabet River Back River Beaver Brook Cochichewick River Concord River Little River Merrimack River Nashua River Nissitissit River North Nashua River Phillips Brook Powwow River Quinapoxet River Salmon Brook Shawsheen River Souhegan River South Branch Souhegan River South Nashua River Spicket River Squannacook River Stillwater River Sudbury River Trout Brook Vine Brook Whitman River
Others	Annisquam River Blackwater River Eagle Hill River Egypt River Ipswich River Jericho Creek Roger Island River Rowley River Skug River