North Branch Pawtuxet River

North Branch Pawtuxet River at Harris Mill Village

The North Branch Pawtuxet River is a river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 8.9 miles (14.3 km).^[1] There are 9 dams along the river's length.^[2]

Course

The river is formed by the confluence of the Ponaganset and Moswansicut rivers in the area that is now flooded by the Scituate Reservoir, the primary drinking water supply for the city of Providence and surrounding towns. From the reservoir, it flows southeast through the historic textile mill villages of Hope, Arkright, Harris, Phenix, Lippitt and then into River Point, West Warwick where it converges with the South Branch Pawtuxet River to form the main branch of the Pawtuxet River.

Crossings

Below is a list of all crossings over the North Branch Pawtuxet River. The list starts at the headwaters and goes downstream.

• Scituate
  • Scituate Avenue (RI 12) (Historic R.I. Bridge)
  • Main Street (RI 116)
  • Colvin Street
• West Warwick
  • Lincoln Avenue
  • Fairview Avenue
  • Main Street (RI 115)

Tributaries

In addition to many unnamed tributaries, the following brooks also feed the North Branch Pawtuxet:

• Burlingame Brook
• Clarke Brook
• Lippitt Brook

See also

• List of rivers in Rhode Island
• Moswansicut River
• Pawtuxet River
• Ponaganset River
• South Branch Pawtuxet River
• Scituate Reservoir

References

• Maps from the United States Geological Survey

1. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed April 1, 2011
2. Governor's Task Force on Dam Safety and Maintenance – Final Report, January 2001