Conservation
Helping to Conserve, Protect, Restore and Sustain Rhode Island’s natural coldwater fisheries is important to us. We are currently managing grants in excess of $1,000,000 that will provide the resources to improve habitat for coldwater and estuary fish in Rhode Island. We invite you to learn about our current major projects below.
We are also active with our RIDEM partners on smaller conservation projects that are scheduled throughout the year. We welcome public support when working on these important projects.
Keep track of our progress by sending us an email to get on our mailing list or, better yet, join forces with us by becoming a member.
Sweet Pond Failed Dam -Removal of Remnants
Rhode Island Chapter of Trout Unlimited (RITU) is working in partnership with the Rhode Island Water Resources Board (WRB) to remove the remnants of a failed dam within the Big River Management Area (BRMA) to restore fish passage to 1.5 miles of native Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) habitat.
Breakheart Pond Dam Removal - Feasibility Study
Rhode Island Trout Unlimited (RITU) has been awarded three grants to study the feasibility of removing the Breakheart Pond Dam. The first grant for $38,000 was awarded by the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) to perform preliminary data collection and develop a preliminary restoration approach for the eventual removal of the dam.
Capwell Mill Pond Dam removal
Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) selected the Rhode Island Chapter of Trout Unlimited (RITU) proposal to remove the Capwell Mill Pond Dam for full funding in August 2023. The Southeast New England Program Watershed Implementation Grant (SNEP SWIG) amount is $129,300.