Greenwich Bay provides vital shellfish habitat, shoreline access, boating opportunities, scenic views, and historic significance to the citizens of Rhode Island. Pollution from stormwater runoff, failing septic systems, and over-development threatens the water quality needed to support those uses. Residents, marinas, yacht clubs, shellfishing operations, restaurants, and other commercial enterprises depend on a healthy Greenwich Bay.

A productive estuary taxed by pollution, Greenwich Bay has been the subject of significant attempts to address water quality and other issues. Research done as part of the Greenwich Bay Initiative has identified sources of pollution and analyzed the physical processes taking place in the bay. Continued water quality issues and a desire to expand on the efforts of the Greenwich Bay Initiative led to a call for a Greenwich Bay Special Area Management Plan (SAMP).

The Coastal Resources Management Council is coordinating with Warwick, East Greenwich, government agencies, and community organizations to prepare the Greenwich Bay Special Area Management Plan. The SAMP is built on government cooperation and community participation. It is adopted into state and local law and recommends policies and actions that government can undertake to protect a complex natural resource that is part of a larger watershed ecosystem. The SAMP provides several mechanisms to coordinate separate governmental bodies, with its overall goal to promote effective coordination among the management authorities within the watershed. The SAMP will describe the present status of the bay, characterize its watershed, identify sources of pollution, and recommend steps to help government work with communities to restore, protect, and balance uses of Greenwich Bay for this and future generations.