Conservation Expands Habitat and Public Access along Rhode Island’s Winnapaug Pond

The Takeaway: Partners in Rhode Island secured seven acres of coastal wetland to expand public access and enhance the salt marsh ecosystem.

Kayaks and paddleboards are beached in the salt marsh while a group of paddlers play in shallow blue water.
Winnapaug Pond’s shallow water makes it perfect for paddling. Photo courtesy Town of Westerly Recreation Department.

Seven acres of coastal wetland will be preserved along an ecologically sensitive barrier peninsula in Westerly, Rhode Island, thanks to $2.6 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s National Coastal Zone Management Program Habitat Protection and Restoration awards.

The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, and other partners secured a conservation easement for the property on Winnapaug Pond, one of southern Rhode Island’s characteristic salt ponds. Protecting this coastal wetland will provide a pathway for marsh migration to avoid rising seas and create more opportunities for the public to enjoy and recreate on Winnapaug Pond.

Plans for the site include public access improvements, which will support future recreational programming led by the Town of Westerly. The site of a former water park, the property will help enhance and expand coastal habitat including salt marsh in a densely developed area.

Healthy marshes increase community resilience to climate change and extreme weather events in addition to providing habitat for coastal species. This latest project builds upon decades of collaboration to restore Winnapaug Pond and the state’s salt marshes for the benefit of all Rhode Islanders.

This project falls under NOAA’s Climate-Ready Coasts initiative, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These efforts are strengthening communities to better handle climate change and extreme weather, while also building upon the long-standing efforts of states and territories to protect coastlines.

For more information on the Office for Coastal Management grant program funding this project, please visit the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law webpage.

Federal Funding: $2,635,000

Partners: Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the Town of Westerly, NOAA Office for Coastal Management

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