Author: Jason Major

Shoreline Cleanup at Salter Grove

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Click to sign up for the event!

Click to sign up for the event!

Save the date! There will be a Shoreline Cleanup at Salter Grove organized by Save The Bay in honor of Earth Day on Saturday, April 23 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Come on down and help clean up trash around the Salter Grove shore and other park areas in preparation for spring and summer outdoor activities. Trash bags and disposable gloves will be available, but you are encouraged to bring your own work or garden gloves if you have them.

A short presentation from the Friends of Salter Grove will be given to outline our vision for the park before the cleanup commences. We look forward to your participation—many hands make quick work!

Click here to sign up for the event.

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Warwick Downs Remembered: Memories of Salter Grove’s Past

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The Warwick Athletic Club, purchased by the Brehanys in 1936 as a summer cottage. (Credit: The Bridge)

The Warwick Athletic Club in 1918, purchased by the Brehanys in 1936 as a summer cottage. (Credit: The Bridge)

Before it was called George B. Salter Memorial Grove it was known as Warwick Downs—a place where residents enjoyed swimming, boating, picnicking, and all sorts of outdoor activities amongst a community of small summer cottages along Narragansett Parkway. In 1993 one former Warwick resident, Margie Degnan, shared some of her summertime memories from Warwick Downs in an article printed in The Bridge, a local newspaper published by the Pawtuxet Village Association. Margie’s memories from the Grove recall a bygone time that seems all the more sweeter for its simplicity and focus on family and friends, and it’s wonderful to envision the area seeing so much use and enjoyment.

You can view a PDF of the article here or click the image below to see it full-screen.

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Salter Grove Project Featured in Warwick Post Article

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Portions of the causeway are currently flooded during even moderate high tides. (Credit: Jason Major)

A view of the Salter Grove Causeway leading to the breakwater, during high tide. The impassable footpath at high tide presents a risk for visitors and anglers. (Credit: Jason Major)

Our ongoing efforts to improve Salter Grove has been featured in an article in the Warwick Post, along with quotes from Rep. Joseph McNamara and FoSG member Jason Major.

According to the article, written by Rob Borkowski, McNamara said Lisa Primiano, Chief of the Division of Planning and Development at DEM, is working to secure funding for a plan to raise the height of the causeway above the high tide line, eliminating the drowning risk. “So things are moving along as quickly as they can with an environmental project,” McNamara said.

Read the full article here.

Status Update: Progress on Causeway Repair

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Marsh restoration at Salter Grove will be a component of improvement plans

The RI DEM is now proceeding with a property survey of the causeway at Salter Grove to determine the type, amount, and cost of materials for its repair. They will also look to provide some marsh restoration as part of any project in this area, similar to that at Goddard Memorial State Park’s new boat ramp.  A likely source of funding for this repair project has been identified.

After the survey is completed in about a month, DEM will prepare more detailed plans and provide them to the City of Warwick, FoSG, and other interested parties prior to finalizing any plan.

Things are moving along! Stay tuned for further news…

How Clean is Narragansett Bay? A R.I. Monthly article by our own Mary Grady

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Harbor Seal providence

Harbor seals can be found sharing the water with container ships near the busy docks of the Port of Providence. Photo by Jason Major, Nov. 2015.

Narragansett Bay and the inflowing waters of the Providence River weren’t always as clean as they might appear today. It wasn’t very long ago at all that discharge from RI’s many industrial companies flowed directly into the Bay, polluting the waters and inciting the growth of harmful algae and bacteria—not to mention creating some interesting smells around many of the Bay’s inlets and coves.

Thanks to the efforts of organizations like Save the Bay, forward-thinking city planners, and environmental regulations like the 1972 Clean Water Act, Narragansett Bay is in better shape than it has been in ages, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. FoSG charter member Mary Grady has covered this ongoing story in a recent article for R.I. Monthly—read the full article here.

Our New Logo!

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FOSG_logo_lg

Voilà—our new logo! (Actually it’s our first logo, we didn’t have an old one.) Portraying the signature Salter Grove breakwater and water of Narragansett Bay with a bit of spartina grass and the silhouette of a Great Blue Heron, this logo seal represents our mission to restore and protect this special little section of Warwick for public use while preserving its natural features. It was designed by FoSG member Jason Major.