A few years ago, NRCS & NRICD identified the Scituate Reservoir watershed, Barden Reservoir-Ponaganset River watershed, and Moswansicut Pond-Huntinghouse Brook watershed as not having watershed assessments in place that address agriculture impacts on water quality. So, Rhode Island NRCS partnered with NRICD to fund watershed assessments for the three watersheds in Providence County, northwest Rhode Island. The watershed assessments aim to fulfill requirements needed to enter the implementation phase of the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI).

The new watershed plans assess water quality conditions related to agriculture in the area surrounding the Scituate Reservoir to determine voluntary conservation efforts to protect this vital drinking water supply. Watershed plans are useful tools to help communities and groups prioritize activities to improve water quality and resources in targeted areas.

NRCS is a federal agency that works hand-in-hand with conservation districts and the people of Rhode Island to improve and protect soil, water and other natural resources. To learn more about NRCS watershed planning, please contact Rhode Island NRCS State Resource Conservationist, Cassius Spears, Jr., at 401-822-8833 or Cassius.Spears@usda.gov, or visit www.RI.nrcs.usda.gov.

Persons with disabilities who require accommodations to participate in this meeting should contact the Disability SEPM, Kat Zuromski, at 401-786-1389 or Kathryn.zuromski@usda.gov, or dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunication relay services.

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