Temporary Repair Work to Charlestown Breachway Started Today

Storms beat up this key waterway

Photo by Will Collette

The Town of Charlestown and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) are announcing that temporary emergency repair work of the west wall of the Charlestown Breachway is beginning on Friday, Oct. 18. 

The repair work is to prevent further hazards to boaters caused by storm damage to the breachway over the years, reduce the influx of sand into Ninigret Pond, and protect nearby coastal properties from increased erosion and flooding risks. 

Large angular granite boulders will be placed to partially restore the Breachway’s structural integrity, improve safe navigation, stabilize the coastline, and preserve essential water flow to maintain ecological balance, water quality, and economic stability for the Town of Charlestown. Some sediment will be removed from the breachway to stabilize the placed stones.  

“Rhode Island’s coastal communities are increasingly contending with sea level rise, flooding, more frequent and severe storm events, and erosion due to the impacts of climate change," said DEM Director Terry Gray. 

“Last year, the Charlestown Breachway was damaged by the intense winter storms in December and January, leading to impacts on the channel and environmental conditions in Ninigret Pond. This followed years of loss of beachfront in the area, which brought the ocean much closer to the breakwaters. DEM and the Town of Charlestown remain committed to the successful completion of repairs to the breachway and looking at the long-term repairs and upgrades for this important coastal infrastructure.”

The work is being conducted by RMA GeoEnvironmental of Wickford, RI. The total cost of the temporary repair project is estimated to be around $500,000, with DEM contributing fifty percent of the final project cost up to a maximum of $300,000 from RI Capital Plan Funds, and the Town of Charlestown contributing the funding for the rest of the cost. 

Boaters should continue using caution when passing through the Breachway, as Town officials, DEM, and the RI Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) remain in collaboration to determine a long-term plan to further repair the breachway.