ecoRI News — Work Planned to Make Popular Quonochontaug Pond and Breachway More Climate Resilient

The pond, breachway, and boat launch at Quonochontaug are managed by the Rhode Department of Environmental Management. (Cynthia Drummond/for ecoRI News)

Nov 26, 2021

By Cynthia Drummond / ecoRI News contributor

CHARLESTOWN, R.I. — A recent assessment of the breachway that connects Quonochontaug Pond to Block Island Sound found the channel, stabilized with rock jetties, and the salt pond are in relatively good shape but are showing signs of deterioration.

Norwood, Mass.-based GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc. has been contracted to design and present coastal resiliency strategies for the popular boating and fishing access site.

During a Nov. 18 online public information meeting hosted by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), which owns and manages the public boat launch and about 40 acres of the property, the discussion focused on improving the pond and breachway’s resiliency in the face of rising sea levels and other climate-crisis impacts.

Nature Conservancy conservation engineer Jillian Thompson, who is currently working in DEM’s Division of Planning & Development, said the assessment was partly funded by a $90,000 grant from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s National Coastal Resilience Fund and by saltwater angler license fees. The entire project is expected to cost between $125,000 and $135,000.

“This fund makes investments to strengthen natural systems,” Thompson said. “These natural systems protect coastal communities from the impacts of storms, floods, sea-level rise, and other hazards. It enables communities to recover more quickly, and they also enhance habitat for important fish and wildlife populations.”

Quonochontaug Pond, commonly referred to as “Quonnie,” is one of 10 coastal lagoons along the state’s South County shoreline. They serve as an important first line of defense against coastal storms and flooding.

…