Charlestown Breachway repair work

After the initial compromising of the west wall of the Charlestown Breachway in December of 2023 and January of 2024, work began to rebuild the structure stronger and longer lasting than ever.

Click here for additional information and resources: https://charlestownri.gov/breachwayinformation

Charlestown Breachway Repair and Dredging Project 2025-2026 Fact Sheet (PDF)

November 14, 2025

The Town of Charlestown and project partners CRMC and RIDEM have officially begun construction, and overall progress is strong. The Blue Shutters staging area is currently stocked with a substantial volume of material and continues to receive approximately fifteen 30-ton tractor-trailer loads of rock each day. Most major equipment is now on site, and material deliveries to the breachway work area are underway.

As of yesterday (11/13/25), we have more than 2,000 tons of the required 7,000 tons of stone delivered to the staging area, along with approximately 800 tons already staged at the breachway. One excavator has been actively working on initial site preparation and on improvements to the lower section of the wall. Beginning next week, a second, larger excavator will be onsite, and you can expect to see more visible progress.

On November 13, the restoration team (RMA and CAB Construction), along with our dredging contractor (J.F. Brennan), participated in a productive coordination meeting. We are confident that the restoration work will be in an excellent position when dredging operations commence. J.F. Brennan is planning to mobilize on December 1, with setup occurring throughout the first few weeks of December. They remain on schedule to begin dredging shortly after the New Year.

Overall, the project is on track, and by the end of next week we anticipate that progress will be even more apparent on the ground.

Since the start of construction, the Town's Stephen McCandless and his assistant, Luke Slom, have been conducting regular drone flights to document progress.

Click below for a OneDrive link to a short video showing the beginning of the project:
Breachway First Update 11.mp4

October 10, 2025

Beginning November 1, 2025, access to the Breachway jetty from the west will be closed to vehicles due to the Breachway restoration work and public safety concerns. Visitors are encouraged to observe the progress from the Charlestown Breachway Campground/State Beach parking lot on the east side, which offers ample parking. Additionally, a CoastSnap station, installed by the University of Rhode Island/RI Sea Grant, is available at this location for those interested in contributing to citizen science by capturing shoreline monitoring photos.

Post Storm Information and Funding Updates:

August 27, 2025

The emergency repair of the breachway held up well during the storm surge from Hurricane Erin. While some high waves did break through the natural west side dunes, the stonework of the west seawall and the majority of the artificial dune created during the emergency repair remained in place. The effects of the storm surge would have been much worse had the emergency repair not been done. Post storm, the beach has started to naturally recover.

August 8, 2025

An informational meeting was held at the Kettle Pond Visitor's Center. After a welcome by Executive Director of Salt Ponds Coalition, Alicia Schaffner, an overview of outreach and communication efforts thus far were provided by Casey Tremper, Coastal Specialist with RI Sea Grant. Information was provided about how to access this website as well as details about our new CoastSnap station which will support volunteer monitoring of the restoration progress.

Stephen McCandless, Charlestown GIS coordinator and coastal geologist, announced the funding that has been obtained:

• $5 million from DEM's request which will be allotted by the state through CRMC
• $2 million from CRMC for dredging
• $1.4 million from Charlestown town budget to support efforts as necessary

Emily Hall, CRMC coastal geologist and Stephen McCandless then walked through the permitting and design. Permits have not been finalized, but all parties are hopeful that construction on the West wall will start after Charlestown Breachway State Campground closes for the season on Oct. 31. Construction will be paused, and the Charlestown Breachway State Beach will be open as usual during beach season. Planting of the dunes will be completed in the Fall of 2026.

Please contact Casey Tremper at casey_tremper@uri.edu with questions.

October 17, 2024

The Town of Charlestown and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) are announcing that temporary emergency repair work of the west wall of the Charlestown Breachway is beginning on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.

The repair work is to prevent further hazards to boaters caused by storm damage to the breachway over the years, reduce the influx of sand into Ninigret Pond, and protect nearby coastal properties from increased erosion and flooding risks. Large angular granite boulders will be placed to partially restore the Breachway’s structural integrity, improve safe navigation, stabilize the coastline, and preserve essential water flow to maintain ecological balance, water quality, and economic stability for the Town of Charlestown. Some sediment will be removed from the breachway to stabilize the placed stones. 

“The Ocean State is on the frontlines of the ongoing impacts of climate change, and the Charlestown Breachway’s current condition is a result of storm damage and coastal erosion from climate impacts,” said Governor Dan McKee. “I am glad that the Town of Charlestown and state agencies are working collaboratively on these necessary temporary repairs as we continue to work together to identify a long-term solution for the breachway.”

“Rhode Island’s coastal communities are increasingly contending with sea level rise, flooding, more frequent and severe storm events, and erosion due to the impacts of climate change," said DEM Director Terry Gray. “Last year, the Charlestown Breachway was damaged by the intense winter storms in December and January, leading to impacts on the channel and environmental conditions in Ninigret Pond. This followed years of loss of beachfront in the area, which brought the ocean much closer to the breakwaters. DEM and the Town of Charlestown remain committed to the successful completion of repairs to the breachway and looking at the long-term repairs and upgrades for this important coastal infrastructure.”

The work is being conducted by RMA GeoEnvironmental of Wickford, RI. The total cost of the temporary repair project is estimated to be around $500,000, with DEM contributing fifty percent of the final project cost up to a maximum of $300,000 from RI Capital Plan Funds, and the Town of Charlestown contributing the funding for the rest of the cost. Boaters should continue using caution when passing through the Breachway, as Town officials, DEM, and the RI Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) remain in collaboration to determine a long-term plan to further repair the breachway.