Kickamuit River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kickamuit River |
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An informational display tells the history of the Kickamuit River.
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| Other name(s) | Kickemuit River |
| Country | United States |
| Cities | Warren, Rhode Island Rehoboth, Massachusetts |
| Towns | Bristol, Rhode Island |
The Kickamuit River (sometimes called the Kickemuit River) is a river in the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It flows for about 7.9 miles (12.7 kilometers).
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The Story of the Kickamuit River
The name Kickamuit comes from the Narragansett people, a Native American tribe. The word has been spelled in many different ways over time.
During the American Revolutionary War, this river was like a busy highway. Boats carried important supplies up and down the river every day.
In the 1800s, people made a lot of money from collecting oysters here. But sadly, pollution from nearby factories and sewage started to harm the river. By 1910, most of the oysters had died. The oyster business on the Kickamuit River completely ended after a huge storm called the 1938 New England hurricane.
Today, the Kickamuit River is known as a Class A, Type II Waterway. This means it's clean enough for fun activities like boating and also for shell-fishing (collecting shellfish like clams and oysters).
Where the River Flows
The Kickamuit River starts in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. Its source is in the swampy areas north of Locust Street in Swansea.
From there, it flows south through Swansea. It then enters the Warren Reservoir, a large body of water that collects rain from about 2,300 acres (9.3 square kilometers). The dam at the reservoir is important because it separates the fresh water upstream from the salty ocean water downstream.
After the dam, the river generally flows southwest, then southeast. It passes east of the town of Warren, Rhode Island. The river ends where Bristol, Rhode Island is to its west and part of Warren is to its east. Finally, the river flows through a narrow passage called the Bristol Narrows and into Mount Hope Bay.
Bridges Over the River
Many bridges cross the Kickamuit River. These crossings connect different towns and roads.
- In Swansea, Massachusetts, you can find bridges for local streets like Locust Street and Reed Street.
- There's also a major highway bridge for Interstate 195.
- Other roads like Stephen French Road and Fall River Avenue (which is also U.S. 6) also cross the river in Swansea.
- In Warren, Rhode Island, bridges include Schoolhouse Road and Child Street (which is RI 103).
River Branches
The Kickamuit River has one named branch, or tributary, called Heath Brook. Many other smaller streams also flow into the river, but they don't have specific names.
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