Map of Big River Management Area
Big River Management Area Policies (PDF)
Big River Management Area Land Use Study (PDF)
Big River Management Area Forestry Report
The Coventry Country Club is located on land owned by the state in the Big River Management Area
Selective cutting forestry management practice
Sand Dunes in the Big River Management Area used by the Rhode Island National Guard for military exercises
Property Management
Big River Management Area (BRMA)
The Big River Management Area (BRMA) consists of approximately 8600 acres of open space. It is the largest, publicly owned, land parcel in Rhode Island. Its borders extend through portions of the towns of West Greenwich, East Greenwich, Coventry, and Exeter. Largely undeveloped, the land was originally condemned for water supply purposes. Some two hundred, single-family dwellings were once located there. Today the Board maintains leases on 39 residential properties, 3 commercial properties as well as the state-owned portion of Maple Root Corporation, a mobile home park. A survey of the BRMA to legally define and monument the boundary is nearly complete.
Today, the land is managed as Open Space, yet the BRMA’s intended use remains water supply oriented. The property is largely managed according to recommendations put forth in a 1996 land use study. The report established guidelines for uses that would not impact future water supply including wildlife management, sustainable forestry, historic preservation, environmental education, and passive recreation. This year, Brown University developed a baseline inventory of the natural communities in the BRMA, the first phase of developing a management plan for the area.
The Water Resources Board maintains a solid relationship with nearby communities and residents living in the area by providing a broad range of educational and recreational opportunities. A multi-year, habitat restoration project on twenty acres is ongoing with help from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and a local farmer. Elementary school students have taken field trips to learn first-hand about the biology in the BRMA. The agency continues to take an active role in the planning, zoning and administrative decisions of the towns as they pertain to the BRMA.
In 2004, the Board completed Phase V of a model forestry management program, on approximately eighty acres. The Board worked in partnership with Dr. Josef Gorres of the University of Rhode Island and the RI Dept. of Environmental Management–Forest Environment Division. The purpose of the project is to assess the effects of logging on environmental quality. The intent is to improve the health of the forest, preserve diverse fish and wildlife habitat and protect the watershed. This effort is part of a larger undertaking to monitor soil quality, nutrient leaching and the impact on nearby wetlands. Phase VI of the selective cutting project will take place on the north side of Hopkins Hill Road, an area which has never been harvested.
AMGEN is the world's largest biotechnology company with a facility in West Greenwich, RI. During 2002, AMGEN received permission from the State to construct a temporary parking lot in the gravel pit. The firm employed best management practices to build the parking lot. In November 2004, the lot was removed. AMGEN generously donated 600 trees, thousands of linear feet of drainage pipes and fencing, hundreds of bushes, dozens of parking lights, and other equipment to the towns of West Greenwich and Coventry, the RI Dept. of Environmental Management and the RI Dept. of Transportation. These donations have resulted in landscape improvements to public parks and roadside areas that will be enjoyed by Rhode Islanders and the general public for years to come. AMGEN will complete restoration of the area by planting grass in the spring of 2005. This successful project demonstrates the State’s sincere efforts to support our growing industries as they become firmly established.
During 2004, the Water Resources Board has continued to work cooperatively with the US Geological Survey, undertaking groundwater investigations to supplement the state’s water supply. As managers of the BRMA property, the Board must also maintain the area’s roads and bridges. During 2004, portions of Congdon Mill Road were improved. Additional improvements include the installation of two security gates to discourage dumping in the area. The RI National Guard and the United States Marine Corps continue to utilize the property for vital training exercises in the interest of national security.
Water demand in Rhode Island is increasing, and the Rhode Island Water Resources Board (RIWRB), which is responsible developing and protecting the State’s major water resources, is concerned that this increasing demand may exceed the current capacity. The Water Resources Board has teamed up with the U.S. Geological Survey, a cooperative partner, to a better understanding of the interaction between ground water and surface water in wetlands in order to better assess potential effects of pumping on wetlands. The RIWRB has determined that there are no established methods to address these concerns in Rhode Island. The RIWRB also has determined that such methods may help water suppliers throughout Rhode Island address concerns of potential effects on the hydrology of wetlands.
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