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ABOUT
About the Stormwater Innovation Center:
The Stormwater Innovation Center (SIC) is a collaborative initiative between the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, The Nature Conservancy, and the City of Providence Parks Department. We are dedicated to improving water quality and stormwater management across Rhode Island. By integrating research, education, outreach, and practical solutions, SIC addresses stormwater challenges through green infrastructure projects, professional training, and community science programs. Working in partnership with government, non-profits, and industry, the Center connects science and real-world implementation to create cleaner, more resilient waterways for Rhode Island’s future.
Our Mission:
The Stormwater Innovation Center (SIC) is dedicated to advancing effective stormwater management, fostering education, and building partnerships to improve water quality across Rhode Island.
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Monitoring & Research: The SIC conducts monitoring and research to enhance stormwater management and water quality in Roger Williams Park and its watershed. By assessing green infrastructure performance and tracking key water health indicators with partners and volunteers, we develop and apply best practices for sustainable, science-based stormwater solutions.
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Water Quality Restoration: Our watershed restoration projects focus on redesigning outdated stormwater systems, removing pavement, restoring shorelines with native plants, and applying innovative management techniques. From site retrofits to comprehensive master plans, we create sustainable, high-performing stormwater solutions.
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Education & Outreach: The SIC collaborates with local schools and environmental partners to help students explore the connection between stormwater, water quality, and wildlife through hands-on learning and creative projects like storm drain murals and painted rain barrels.
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Training & Networking: We provide expert-led trainings on stormwater and green infrastructure design, construction, and maintenance for municipalities, non-profits, businesses, and community members. Our experienced presenters offer both virtual and in-person sessions to share practical knowledge and industry best practices.
HISTORY
Poor water quality has been a problem in Tongue, Spectacle, Mashapaug, and the Roger Williams Park ponds for a long time. In 1982, three of the ponds in the park were dredged as an attempt to improve water quality, but phosphorous-laden storm water and road sand continued to flow directly into the ponds.
The ponds were first listed in the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management’s (RIDEM) impaired water bodies list in 1992. In 2007 RIDEM released a Total Maximum Daily Load report (TMDL), which highlighted the phosphorous problem in the Roger Williams Park pond system.
In 2013, the Roger Williams Park Water Quality Management Plan was created by the Horsley-Witten Group to identify possible sources of water quality contamination and develop a plan to reduce pollution in the ponds. Stormwater runoff was identified as a major transporter of pollutants into the ponds.
In 2017, RIDEM and the City of Providence entered a consent decree to address the water quality issues in Roger Williams Park, so the Stormwater Innovation Center was born as a result of the partnership between the City of Providence Parks Department, Audubon Society of Rhode Island, The Nature Conservancy, the University of Rhode Island's Coastal Institute, Restore America's Estuaries, Rhode Island Department of Transportation, and the SNEP Network!
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