Students Vow to Protect Their Watershed

The Narrow River is a narrow tidal inlet that opens into the Atlantic Ocean at Narragansett Beach. Its watershed constitutes 14 square miles along the river in South and North Kingstown and Narragansett that drain into Rhode Island Sound. Richard Grant, president of the Narrow River Preservation Association, and volunteers visited South Kingstown elementary schools to tell 1st through 5th graders about how they can help protect and preserve the Narrow River watershed.

Richard and his cartwheel team of volunteers, Rosemary Smith, Veronica Berounsky and Mary Jane Kanoczet first explained their mission: to restore, protect and preserve the quality of the natural environment and communities within the Narrow (Pettaquamscutt) River Estuary and Watershed. They work to keep the river clean and free of pollution so that both people and wildlife can continue to use the river safely.

A contoured model enabled students to visualize how water and other substances enter a watershed and eventually wind up in the river. Richard squirted water onto the sides of the model to demonstrate that a watershed is basically a basin, just like a sink or a bathtub. Water runs down the sloping sides of the basin and collects in an area at the bottom like a river, eventually draining out at the lowest point.

Photographs illustrated the watershed’s flora and fauna — osprey, ducks, flounder, sea stars, quahogs, and even oysters. A map detailed the roughly 8,000 acres of the Pettaquamscutt River Estuary, the coastal body of water where salty ocean tides and fresh river water merge.

While some land along the river has remained natural, some, of course, has been built up. Pollution found in the river is called non-point pollution since there is no one place, such as an industrial site, that is its single source. It comes from many different sources such as pipes that run into the river, fertilizer from lawns, septic systems, and bird waste. Detention ponds built at the opening of some pipes collect pollution and prevent it from entering the river.

One essential job is regular monitoring and testing the water by volunteers so that the Preservation Association can track of the cleanliness of the water with the help of URI.

What can students — or any of us — do to help the Narrow River?

1. Do tie into town sewers, or
2. Do inspect and pump septic tanks regularly.
3. Don't use lawn fertilizers or herbicides.
4. Don't dump lawn clippings, leaves or trash into the river.
5. Do operate watercraft responsibly.
6. Do pick up pet waste.
7. Don't feed waterfowl.
8. Don't put anything down the sink that you wouldn't eat or drink.
9. Don't dump anything down storm drains.
10. Do report any suspected problems to the RI DEM at (401) 222–1360.

To conclude, students were asked to write or draw in their journals about what they — as keepers of the Narrow River — had learned about protecting and preserving a watershed. Here are some of their responses:

— “Don’t put anything down the water drains. Don’t throw any stuff in the water.” [2nd grade]

— “I can help by not putting/dumping trash by the watershed. You do that because if you do it will eventually run into the river or ocean. It might even take months, but it goes down somehow. They build ponds to keep oil and other things out of our oceans and rivers.” [3rd grade]

— “I will help the watershed by: not polluting, not putting grass or leaf clippings into the water, not dumping waste into grates, and not LITTERING!” [3rd grade]

— “I think I can help the river by picking up a lot of trash.” [3rd grade]

— “How can you help the rivers? Do not throw garbage in the rivers. Did you know there are fantastic creatures in the bottom of the river like starfish and things like that? You can make rivers a better place!” [4th grade]

— “I can help by not feeding birds by the river, and telling my dad not to use a lot of fertilizer. I can not dump trash into/near the watershed.” [5th grade]

— “Do not throw trash in rivers. Do not feed the birds. Don’t use too much fertilizer. Do tell about a problem if there is one. The river is by Narragansett Beach. The Narrow River is also called the Pettaquamscutt River.” [5th grade]

By Jon Pincince & Rian Smith