CRMC, Avedisian announce proposed change
to agency’s water type classification
of Greenwich Bay

WARWICK – Coastal Management Resources Council (CRMC) Chairman Michael M. Tikoian and Mayor Scott Avedisian jointly announced today CRMC’s proposal to change a significant portion of the agency’s water type classifications of Greenwich Bay in an effort to protect it from further development and to enhance ongoing efforts to restore it to health.

CRMC has six types of water classifications. Currently, much of the waters of the coves of Greenwich Bay are classified as Type 3. These waters are dominated by commercial facilities that support recreational boating. Under this classification, marinas, boatyards, and associated businesses take priority over other uses, and dredging and shoreline alterations are to be expected.

The proposal would upgrade approximately five (5) miles of Type 3 waters to Type 2, where low intensity uses such as docks are acceptable, but more intense forms of development, including more marinas and new dredging projects are not. The proposal would also revise over 1,100 feet of Type 3 shoreline at Mary’s Creek to Type 1, the CRMC’s highest level of protection. The waters along some 70 percent of the state's 420 miles of shoreline have been assigned to Type 1 and Type 2. Finally, the proposal will additionally address a need for consistency with the City’s land use plans for the shoreline in the upper reaches of Apponaug Cove. In this area of the cove, the proposed water types would be revised from Type 3 to Type 5 to allow for mixed marine-related recreational and commercial activities.

A change in the water type classification would complement ongoing development of the Greenwich Bay Special Area Management Plan (SAMP), a written plan meant to protect and manage the bay for future generations, Tikoian said. The plan is being drafted through the collaboration of a number of government agencies and community groups.

“These changes to the state’s water type management policies are significant: Greenwich Bay is a valuable resource in and of itself. It provides excellent nursery grounds for many species found throughout Narragansett Bay,” said Tikoian.

“The changes are a pro-active effort to address management issues in the watershed,” Grover Fugate, CRMC Executive Director, reiterated.

“The Greenwich Bay watershed is a vitally important environmental, recreational and economic resource for the City of Warwick,” Avedisian said. “Changing the water type classification will greatly help our collective efforts to preserve and restore the bay. I am grateful to CRMC for their leadership on this issue, and for the support from our local maritime industry and neighborhood groups of this proposal.”

Chris Ruhling of Brewer’s Yacht Yard, spoke on behalf of a coalition of local marina owners.

“The marinas in Warwick have been working together for over fifteen years, with and through the support of the Rhode Island Marine Trade Association, to enhance the water quality of not only Greenwich Bay but all of Narragansett Bay,” Ruhling said. “The reclassification or retyping of the water is just another proactive step in improving water quality on Greenwich Bay. Working together with CRMC, our local community and local government through the SAMP proves that when focused on the right objectives, polarized groups can come together to meet a common goal.”

Greenwich Bay has long been one of the area’s greatest environmental resources. However, in 1992 a severe storm caused large numbers of bacteria from contaminated groundwater, farmland, and storm drains to enter the Bay. As a result of the pollution, the state government ordered the Bay closed to shellfishing. This ban remained in effect for approximately a year and a half. This closure meant a loss of an estimated $1 million to the shellfishing industry.