The Kickamuit River (often called the ''Kickemuit River'') is a river in the states of

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

and

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

flowing approximately .U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed April 1, 2011

History

The name ''Kickamuit'' is a Narragansett word that has numerous spellings. The river was a major traffic artery during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, and supplies traveled upriver daily. By the 1800s, oyster beds were a major revenue source, but effluent from the nearby Parker Mills and general sewage pollution killed most of the oysters by 1910. The Kickamuit River oyster industry was ended with the

1938 New England hurricane The 1938 New England Hurricane (also referred to as the Great New England Hurricane and the Long Island Express Hurricane) was one of the deadliest and most destructive tropical cyclones to strike Long Island, New York, and New England. The stor ...

. The Kickamuit River is classified as a Class A, Type II Waterway and open to both recreational activities and shell-fishing.

Course

The river's source is in

Rehoboth, Massachusetts Rehoboth is a historic town in Bristol County, Massachusetts. Established in 1643, Rehoboth is one of the oldest towns in Massachusetts. The population was 12,502 at the 2020 census. Rehoboth is a mostly rural community with many historic sites i ...

in the swamps north of Locust Street in

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

. From here it flows due south to Swansea and into the Warren Reservoir, which drains approximately . The reservoir's dam forms the boundary between fresh and salt water. From the dam it flows generally southwest, then southeast to

Mount Hope Bay Mount Hope Bay is a tidal estuary located at the mouth of the Taunton River on the Massachusetts and Rhode Island border. It is an arm of Narragansett Bay. The bay is named after Mount Hope (Rhode Island), Mount Hope, a small hill located on its ...

, passing to the east of the center of the town of

Warren, Rhode Island Warren is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 11,147 at the 2020 census. History Warren was the site of the Pokanoket Indian settlement of Sowams located on a peninsula within the Pokanoket region. The reg ...

and ending with

Bristol, Rhode Island Bristol is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, US as well as the historic county seat. The town is built on the traditional territories of the Pokanoket Wampanoag. It is a deep water seaport named after Bristol, England. The population of B ...

to the west and part of Warren, Rhode Island to the east. The river exits in a passage through the Bristol Narrows into Mount Hope Bay.

Crossings

Below is a list of crossings over the Kickamuit River. The list starts at the headwaters and goes downstream. *Swansea, Massachusetts **Locust Street **Reed Street ** Interstate 195 **Stephen French Road **Colletti Lane **Fall River Avenue (

U.S. 6 U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to P ...

) **Burnside Drive **Lynnwood Road **Bushee Road *Warren, Rhode Island **Schoolhouse Road **Child Street ( RI 103)

Tributaries

Heath Brook is the Kickamuit River's only named tributary, though it has many unnamed streams that also feed it.

Gallery

References

*Maps from the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

Environmental Protection Agency

External links

Kickemuit River Council
* {{authority control Rivers of Bristol County, Massachusetts Rivers of Bristol County, Rhode Island Rivers of Massachusetts Rivers of Rhode Island