Rhode Island’s shell fishing industry also suffers every time shell fishing beds are closed in the Bay. The upper Bay, where most closings occur, holds about 70 percent of bay’s shellfish harvest.

Threatening Wildlife & Habitat
High nitrogen levels in the Bay reduce the amount of oxygen the water holds. This can lead to underwater ‘kill zones”—fatal conditions for oxygen-sensitive crabs, shrimp, scallops and
fish. Nitrogen pollution also clouds the water and causes large, unnatural algae blooms that can alter marine habitat.

If nitrogen levels in the Bay continue to increase, dead zones may grow in size and duration, a phenomenon that already occurs in places like Chesapeake Bay. Nitrogen pollution is a serious threat to the long-term health of the Bay.

A Bond To Protect Our Bay
Reducing Bacteria Levels: A Narragansett Bay and Watershed Restoration Bond will provide grants to help local communities control storm-water pollution that can cause
combined sewer systems to overflow, releasing bacteria-laden sewage into the water.

Reducing Nitrogen Levels: A Narragansett Bay and Watershed Restoration Bond will help finance improvements to the state’s aging wastewater treatment facilities that studies have shown account for as much as 66 percent of the nitrogen in the upper Bay.

RIPIRG Advocate Matt Auten talks to Channel 10 News about RIPIRG’s work to clean up pollution flowing into the Pawcatuck River in South County.

Taking Action To Protect Rhode Island’s Water
RIPIRG is working to make sure our elected officials and state agencies do three things:

• Approve a $25 million bay and watershed restoration bond, which will improve the state’s water quality by funding upgrades to wastewater treatment facilities and other antipollution projects;

• Limit the amount of stormwater entering waterways by restoring natural habitats along our rivers and streams and requiring total runoff mitigation from new development; and

• Issue and enforce stringent pollution permits for big water polluters.