63. EFySCTS OF THE PLAN ON NORMAL CONDITIONS IN BAY 



a. Fo3c Point barrier . The Fox Point barrier would be 

 constructed close to the head of navigation in Providence and 

 would contain no navigation openings. About 700 feet of wharf 

 space for commercial navigation could be provided at the 

 barrier, wiiich would replace existing wharfage used by a small 

 amount of commercial shipping above Fox Point and provide 

 additional wharfage for the port of Providence. Under non- 

 hurricane conditions, the sluice gates of the Fox Point barrier 

 would provide for free movesient of tidal flow and unrestricted 

 circulation through the barrier. The tidal range would be 

 unaffected in the l^O-acre area above the barrier and no addi- 

 tional pollution problem would be created. During a htarricane 

 alert, when the sluice gates would be closed to prevent tidal 

 flooding of the area behind the dam, runoff from the Woonasqua- 

 tucket and Moshassuck Rivers, plus storm sewage from the city 

 of Providence, would be pun5)ed through the dam. As fish and 

 wildlife values and recreational values are non-existent above 

 Fox Point, the barrier would have no effect on these. The design 

 provides for continvdng the supply of 1,300 cubic feet per second 

 of cooling water to the plants of the Narragansett Electric Company. 

 The cooling water drawn from below the barrier would be discharged 

 into the pool above the barrier, thus providing a discharge through 

 the sluice gates considerably in excess of the freshwater flows 

 from the rivers. 



b. Lower Bay barriers . Barriers designed for the Lower Bay 

 to provide protection against hurricane tidal flooding must of 

 necessity restrict the entrance of the tidal surge iso as to lower 

 the flood tide level below the point where significant damages are 

 incurred. Such structiures will restrict the tidal range and cur- 

 rents within the bay, with possible long range effects on tempera- 

 ture, salinity, flushing and Liportant related matters, such as 

 navigation, pollution and fisheries. Extensive research, model 

 tests and studies of these complex matters would be required for 

 a satisfactory final design. The preliminary studies of these 

 effects are discussed below. 



(1) Basic studies . The present conditions in the bay 

 vrere determined from available data of the U, 3, Coast and Geodetic 

 Survey and a special hydrogr^hic survey by the Narragansett Marine 

 Laboratory of the University of Rhode Island. Regular observations 

 of the latter extended over a period of 9 months and provided essential 



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