CRMC funds seven habitat restoration projects

February 4, 2026, WAKEFIELD – The R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) has awarded funding for seven habitat restoration projects in the 23rd year of its RI Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration Trust Fund (CEHRTF).

The Council heard recommendations for funding at the March 24, 2026 semi-monthly meeting from Emily Hall, coastal geologist and the CRMC’s representative on the Trust Fund’s Technical Advisory Committee. Projects approved by the Council for funding this year include a tide gate repair, a habitat restoration and marsh migration project, dam removal, invasives management and eelgrass restoration and resilience efforts. As with previous years, in its request for proposals the CRMC put special emphasis on projects that would enhance the resiliency of Rhode Island’s coastal habitats to hazardous storm events and sea level rise.

The Council awarded $20,000 to the Westerly Land Trust for the Avondale Salt Marsh Restoration and Marsh Migration Facilitation Project. The Land Trust owns 11 acres of salt marsh on the east side of the Pawcatuck River that is part of the 31-acre Avondale Preserve. The salt marsh has experienced degradation, including areas of impounded water, vegetation die-off, degradation of the marsh substrate, and proliferation of the invasive Phragmites australis due to the standing water. Past historic farming has also altered the hydrology of the marsh and contributed to these effects, as well as sea level rise. Previous efforts to restore proper hydrology to the areas took place in 2014 when the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management’s Mosquito Abatement Program use low- ground pressure equipment to restore tidal flow in the northeast corner. The project will expand the restoration area to include hydrology restoration of the marsh migration corridor by re-establishing a drainage feature along the edge of the brackish section of the marsh and restoring the tidal flow in the southern and western sections via hand-dug “runnels” to allow the impounded water to drain. The previous DEM work will also be maintained. Excavated peat from the runnels will be placed on the marsh platform to increase elevation in certain areas.

The Pawtuxet River Authority and Watershed Council received $ 20,000 in Trust Fund monies for the site survey to support dam removal design and permitting for the Pontiac Dam in Warwick. Following the removal of the Pawtuxet River Falls Dam in 2011, the Pontiac Dam remains the first obstruction to fish passage from tidal waters. Fully or partially removing this dam will provide access to an additional 2.5 river miles and approximately 35 acres of habitat upstream of the dam. Since the Pawtuxet River Falls Dam removal, several studies have been conducted on fish passage and dam removal, but there are data gaps. The PRA is seeking Trust Fund monies to perform a survey of the current topography of Pontiac Dam, the surrounding area and infrastructure, and areas up and downstream of the dam that have been altered or impacted by recent flooding. The goal is to obtain this data to aid in developing an accurate engineering design to inform the dam removal phase. The long-term goal is to use this information to inform partners on the best way forward.

The DEM Division of Fish & Wildlife was awarded $50,000 in Trust Fund monies for the Galilee Salt Marsh tide gate repair and recalibration project. The Galilee salt marsh is a 100-acre tidal wetland complex managed by DEM. It has been identified as a key nesting area for the at-rick saltmarsh sparrow. The marsh became tidally restricted from Point Judith Pond in 1956 with the construction of Galilee Escape Road, which allowed Phramites to flourish. In 1997 RIDFW installed four self-regulating tide gates on two new culverts to enhance tidal exchange. Over time, the tide gates have ceased to function properly and due to that and historic farming practices there, the marsh platform has lost elevation, leading to significant areas of impounded water. This project will restore the hydrology of the marsh platform and improve habitat by repairing and recalibrating the tide gates based on a hydraulic study of the marsh that included assessment of the condition and function of the tide gates.

Save The Bay, along with the property owner of the Condo at Lafayette Mill, received    $49,426 from the Council for removal of the Rodman Mill Dam and associated site improvements to enhance climate resiliency on the Annaquatucket River in North Kingstown. The project partners have examined dam removal alternatives and plan to advance the design and permitting phase of the project. The privately-owned dam was considered a high-hazard dam in poor condition during RIDEM’s most recent assessment in 2025. Additionally, RIDEM’s Office of Dam Safety recently conducted a spillway capacity study and determined the dam does not pass the 100-year storm, requiring the owner to either remove it or rebuild the dam and spillway to withstand current storm trends. The dam also creates a shallow impoundment that has high bacteria and total phosphorous levels and non-aquatic plants. This dam is the last obstruction to fish passage in this river system, and its removal would restore river connectivity and provide access to approximately 2.7 river miles in the Annaquatucket River up to the Lafayette trout hatchery.

The Council awarded $12,000 to Oakland Beach Revival Society, along with the City of Warwick and other partners, for the Oakland Beach Coastal Invasive Species Mitigation and Habitat Restoration Preparation project in Warwick. The beach’s coastal trail area has been significantly altered by decades of watershed development and unmanaged growth within coastal buffer and dune systems. These activities have degraded the coastal buffer, allowing for infestations of herbaceous and woody invasive plant species to displace native vegetation, reduce wildlife habitat, and weaken shoreline resilience to coastal storms and flooding. The project partners will conduct a three-year invasive species management effort across approximately .3 acres of coastal habitat. Focusing on maritime dune and shrubland communities. This work builds on a 2023 coastal resilience project conducted by the City of Warwick in coordination with Save The Bay that included removing low-lying sections of Strand Avenue and Sea View Drive that were vulnerable to flooding and erosion. After pavement was removed, public parking and paths were installed and a dine was created in the space of the former roadways.

RIDEM received $50,000 from the Trust Fund for the Enhancing Eelgrass Resilience and Thermal Tolerance through Seed-Based Restoration and Enhancement Approaches in several South Shore coastal ponds: Winnapaug, Ninigret, and Green Hill Ponds.
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is a critical marine habitat that provides numerous ecosystem benefits in estuaries and along coastlines throughout New England. This submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) is recognized as a keystone, native species. Eelgrass is threatened by rapidly warming water and has exhibited heat-driven declines of more than 80 percent loss at its southern extent and signs of thermal stress in embayments nearly coastwide. RIDEM’s Division of Marine Fisheries, along with project partners, will conduct research and establish 400 square meter common garden restoration sites in each of the three ponds using seed-based approaches. By improving eelgrass seed processing, storage, and deployment methods, and by applying these techniques at targeted restoration sites, the project will support greater eelgrass bed persistence, strengthen shoreline and marsh protection, and enhance habitat value.

The Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council (WRWC) was awarded $23,574 for its Engaging Woonasquatucket River Watershed Communities in Coastal Resilience and Habitat Restoration project. The WRWC, along with project partners, has proposed a watershed-wide inventory, planning and design process based on effective restoration techniques at the most critical sites in the urbanized American Heritage River/contiguous wildlife corridor and its vulnerable surrounding habitats and neighborhoods. The project’s outputs, benefits, and results are strengthened by leveraged funding and aligned past and ongoing efforts. Both will position the WRWC and its partners to identify and prioritize habitat restoration approached across the 52-square-mile watershed, helping to focus resources and action on effective conservation and restoration where they are most needed. The WRWC will meet with municipalities and leaders to complete preliminary design on three to five priority projects and develop a prioritized plan. This plan will set the Council up for long-term (10-20 years) efforts.

Habitat restoration projects funded through the RI Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration Trust Fund are recommended by the fund’s Technical Advisory Committee and approved by the RI Coastal Resources Management Council. Program funds come from the state’s Oil Spill Prevention Administration and Response Act (OSPAR), established by the legislature following the 1996 North Cape oil spill. Each year, the CEHRTF advisory committee, with approval of the CRMC allocates $225,000 from the OSPAR account to habitat restoration projects throughout the state.

“The Rhode Island Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration Trust Fund is 23 years old this year, and this year’s round of projects continue the work to restore salt marsh functions with migration in mind, restore fish passage in our riverine systems statewide, and improve the resilience of our natural areas to sea level rise and climate change,” said CRMC Executive Director Jeff Willis. “The CRMC is honored to have been a vital part of this work for more than two decades.”

To date and including this year, the Trust Fund has awarded $5.25 million for 178 projects, which have leveraged more than $37 million in matching funds. The full report is on the CRMC web site at http://www.crmc.ri.gov/habitatrestoration.html.