EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 



Overview 



This report presents the results of a comprehensive research effort analyzing non-point source 

 governance needs in the Narragansett Bay Basin, Rhode Island. It outlines a management 

 approach addressing technical problems, institutional needs, and necessary responses. 



The current and potential vulnerability of Bay resources to non-point source contamination is 

 such that a fundamentally conservative prevention-oriented strategy consistent with the history 

 of national hazardous waste regulation is warranted. Management of hazards in the 

 environment is analogous to protection of the Bay, in that decisions must be made in the 

 absence of optimal levels of scientific information. For seafood consimwrs, fishermen, 

 recreational users, and wildlife, consequences of human actions cannot be allowed to reach 

 proportions beyond our control. 



Development of an effective non-point source control program for the Narragansett Bay must 

 involve significant commitments at several levels on the part of the State of Rhode Island. 

 Executive and legislative leadership is needed to confirm objectives and to provide funding 

 mechanisms complementing available federal financial assistance. Rhode Island's 

 overwhelming support for open space acquisition, for local comprehensive planning, and for a 

 constitutional amendment supportive of strong resource protection all constitute a strong 

 political mandate for correction of the Bay's challenging problems. 



KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS 



Resource Vulnerability 



State water quality data indicate that non-point source pollutants, particularly sediment, 

 oxygen-depleting substances, nutrients, and pathogens, can be considered responsible for 

 habitat loss, use restrictions, and closure of former shellfishing areas in Narragansett Bay, 

 particularly in poorly-flushed embayments. Sources of particular concern addressed in this 

 study include, in general order of importance, stormwater runoff, eroded sediment, nutrients 

 derived from waste disposal facilities (ISDS), agricultural sources, marine waste discharge, 

 and road salt 



Current state projections for significant population growth suggest that degradation due to 

 stormwater runoff, construction-related erosion, ISDS loadings, marine discharge, and lawn 

 care related contaminants is likely to increase steadily within the 1990's. 



As non-point source pollutant loadings have increased, losses of wetiand areas capable of 

 mitigating resource impacts have also escalated, particularly in inland areas and along tributary 

 sffeams. Dramatic development pressure has led to seriously deficient protection of buffering 

 capacity in estuarine and inland areas, and to the sacrifice of intrinsically important resources. 



The long-recognized need for continuing assessment of the stams of resources in the Bay and 

 its tributaries has been insufficientiy adf&essed. Until recentiy, research has been targeted 

 toward localized contamination events, requiring decision-makers to rely upon uneven, 

 inconsistent data in setting action priorities and allocating scarce resources. A permanent, 

 consistent monitoring program for water quality, fish and shellfish resources, nearshore habitat 

 and wetiand conditions is urgentiy needed. As previously articulated, however, available data 

 is sufficient to support priority setting, strong preventive action, and reduction of source 

 inputs. 



