Each spring, migratory fish-generally known as alewives though Rhode Islanders, traditionally, call them "buckies"-swim upstream from the sea to spawn in the lakes and ponds of the Bay watershed, just as they've done for countless millennia. River herring, shad and salmon are anadromous-that is, they live as adults in salt water, but move into fresh water to spawn. American eels also move upstream in spring, but they're catadromous-spawning far out in the Atlantic Ocean, then migrating into freshwater lakes and ponds, where they spend most of their adult lives.

Anadromous and catadromous fish have great value to coastal ecosystems-the web of life on which we all depend. When in salt water, they provide food for game fish such as striped bass and bluefish. In fresh water, they are eaten by large- and smallmouth bass. Throughout their range, they are preyed upon by fish-eating birds, like ospreys and herons, and mammals, like otters and seals. We humans are another predator-along much of the East Coast, the flesh and roe of American shad are considered great delicacies, while herring have often been used for food, bait and fertilizer. In recent years, however, all Southern New England states have banned the taking of herring due to coast-wide population declines-making the restoration of their habitat all the more important.

The Gilbert Stuart historic site in North Kingstown, R.I., and the Wareham Street Fish Ladder on the Nemasket River in Middleborough, Mass., are two of the best spots in the Narragansett Bay watershed to see the fish runs. When they're running hard at either location, festival atmosphere prevails-whole families come to witness the astonishing sight of thousands of herring working their way upstream. Sometimes the fish almost seem like ranks of soldiers, marching shoulder to shoulder in parade formation against the rushing current.

The Pawtuxet River, on the west side of Narragansett Bay, is one of Rhode Island's great watercourses-the third-largest tributary of Narragansett Bay, with a watershed of 230 square miles. Like other Bay rivers, it once supported robust annual fish runs: Atlantic salmon, American shad, two kinds of river herring (alewives and bluebacks), American eel and other species. In the 18th and 19th century, however, the runs were wiped out, primarily by dam construction-today there are 140 dams in the Pawtuxet watershed, built for industrial power and water supply. Water pollution may have played a role, as well.

In the late 1800's a wooden fish ladder-the first in Rhode Island-allowed the buckies to swim over the dam at Pawtuxet Falls, supporting an active fishery, but the ladder appears to have fallen into disuse sometime around 1900. The Pawtuxet River is far cleaner now than it was a century or even a decade ago, due primarily to improved wastewater treatment. But the dams-though they have outlived their original purposes-prevent migratory fish from returning to the Pawtuxet watershed.

The Narragansett Bay Estuary Program is working with the Pawtuxet River Authority and Watershed Council (PRAWC) and other partners to restore fish passage to the lower Pawtuxet River. The team is proposing to remove part of the concrete dam spillway at Pawtuxet Falls—the waterfall visible from Broad Street in Pawtuxet Village, at the mouth of the Pawtuxet River on Pawtuxet Cove. In this area, the river forms the boundary between the cities of Warwick and Cranston, R.I., and the Village is shared between the two municipalities.

The concrete structure was built in 1924 atop a bedrock outcropping, which formed a natural waterfall before construction of the dam. By removing a section of the dam on the Warwick side, the project will allow migratory fish to swim upstream and return more natural flow to the lower Pawtuxet River, restoring the historical ecological connection between the river and the Bay. As an added benefit, the restoration will reduce harmful property flooding upstream. The river will continue to form a cascade or waterfall over the bedrock on the Warwick side of the river; natural stone will be placed on the remnant portion of the spillway to blend in with the bedrock on the Cranston side.

NBEP hosted several public meetings about the project, at which stakeholders voiced support as well as concern. Pawtuxet Falls is the centerpiece of the Village, and residents are understandably protective of its appearance and historic character. Pawtuxet Village is one of Rhode Island's truly unique places, and the Falls are as important to its identity as are the 18th century houses that line its harbor front and narrow streets.

NBEP and its partners are working to ensure that the restoration meets community and environmental concerns. We recently completed an engineering study to predict changes to water levels in the river. We undertook a wetlands study to better understand potential wetlands impacts, and developed photosimulations to illustrate the visual effects of the restoration. Now, we’re working with the R.I. Department of Environmental Management and other regulatory agencies to permit the project, which will provide a second level of review and public notice. Only then can the restoration project move toward construction, anticipated to take place fall, 2010 through summer, 2011.

In addition to the Pawtuxet River Authority and Watershed Council, support and funding for the restoration partnership are provided by the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, Save The Bay, Inc., R.I. Rivers Council, R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council (RICRMC), R.I. Corporate Wetlands Partnership, R.I. Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and American Rivers.