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The Roger Williams Park watershed includes all the land where rain and snowmelt flow into the park’s ponds. Water enters the park from nearby sidewalks, streets, rooftops, and yards, as well as through a subsurface channel that connects Mashapaug Pond to the park. From there, water flows through Roger Williams Park and eventually reaches Narragansett Bay, connecting this landscape to Rhode Island’s coastal ecosystems.
The health of the park’s waters is closely tied to the history of Mashapaug Pond. In 1890, the Gorham Silver Manufacturing Company built a 37-acre plant on the pond’s shoreline and operated for nearly a century without environmental oversight. Industrial discharge and runoff deposited heavy metals, solvents, and other contaminants that accumulated in the pond’s sediments over generations. In 1961, the West Elmwood neighborhood on the pond’s western shore was replaced by Huntington Industrial Park, dramatically increasing impervious surfaces in the watershed and intensifying stormwater runoff into the pond. Today, the Stormwater Innovation Center helps reduce pollution entering the park’s ponds through a Treatment Train that monitors and filters water flowing from Mashapaug Pond.
As rainwater and snowmelt travel across the landscape, they can pick up oil, trash, fertilizers, and other pollutants, carrying them directly into local waterways. Because the watershed extends far beyond park boundaries, actions taken throughout the community affect the health of Roger Williams Park. Water supports all life—from fish and birds to people—and we rely on it for drinking, growing food, recreation, and healthy ecosystems. Protecting watersheds helps ensure clean water not only for places like Roger Williams Park, but also for the reservoirs and rivers that sustain our communities.
Sign 1: The Roger Williams Park Watershed
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Learn more about the history of Mashapaug Pond
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Learn more about the Treatment Train
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Learn more about Mashapaug Pond Water Quality Monitoring
Fish depend on clean water, aquatic plants, and stable shorelines for feeding and shelter. They also rely on insects and other small organisms that live in and around the water for their diets. Healthy fish populations are signs of a healthy ecosystem. When water quality declines due to pollution, excess nutrients, or warming temperatures, fish may struggle to survive.
The ponds of Roger Williams Park are home to a variety of freshwater fish. Native species such as largemouth bass, bluegill, American eel, and yellow perch thrive in these calm waters. The ponds are also home to invasive common carp, which degrade water quality by uprooting plants and re-suspending sediments. These disturbed sediments can release excess nutrients into the water, fueling algae blooms, increasing turbidity, and contributing to habitat loss for native wildlife. To improve Roger Williams Park water quality, the Stormwater Innovation Center is monitoring and managing the park’s carp population.
Many people fish in the Park’s lakes for fun and relaxation, highlighting how closely our lives are connected to water. However, due to impaired water quality, fish caught in the park should not be eaten. As restoration efforts continue, the goal is to improve water quality so that the park’s ponds can one day support healthy fish populations that are safe to eat. Check out the Providence Urban Wildlife Conservation Partnership’s annual freshwater fishing event to learn more about fishing in the park!
Sign 2: Life Beneath the Surface Fish of Roger Williams Park
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Learn more about the SIC’s carp management: https://www.stormwaterinnovation.org/carp-management
Sign 3: A Landscape Shaped by Water and People
Around 20,000 years ago, this land (along with all of Rhode Island) was buried beneath the massive Laurentide Ice Sheet, which stretched as far south as Long Island. As the ice slowly retreated, it carved and reshaped the landscape, leaving behind the foundation of the park you see today. In its wake, Mashapaug Brook flowed through this area, connecting Mashapaug Pond to the Pawtuxet River.
For centuries, the Narragansett Indian Tribe stewarded this land, caring for its ecosystems and resources. In the 1600s, Narragansett leaders Canonicus and Miantonomo deeded a portion of this land to Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island. In 1871, his descendant Betsey Williams donated this land along with additional acreage to the city of Providence for public use. This marked the beginning of Roger Williams Park as a public green space.
In 1878, renowned landscape architect Horace Cleveland was chosen to design the park. He envisioned a space where nature and people could exist in harmony, believing parks should serve “the great mass of the laboring population.” To bring this vision to life, Mashapaug Brook was rerouted, wetlands were transformed into lakes, and winding roads and trails were designed to follow the natural contours of the land.
Today, Roger Williams Park is shaped by the people who gather here. Whether you come to celebrate special occasions with friends and family, explore trails and observe wildlife, or simply find moments of quiet solitude, this park is yours to enjoy and steward.
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Learn more about the Narragansett Indian Tribe
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Roger Williams Park history: https://www.providenceri.gov/parks/roger-williams-park/
Sign 4: Protecting Our Park Waterways
When excess nutrients enter ponds and lakes through stormwater runoff, waterfowl droppings, or disturbed sediments, algae can grow rapidly in a process called eutrophication. As algae die and decompose, bacteria consume oxygen in the water, making it difficult for fish and other aquatic life to survive. Some algae, such as cyanobacteria, can form harmful algal blooms that produce toxins dangerous to people, pets, and wildlife.
To help reduce nutrient pollution, the City of Providence has installed green infrastructure throughout the park, including rain gardens, infiltration basins, and bioswales. These nature-based systems capture, slow, and filter stormwater before it reaches the ponds.
You can help protect water quality by
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picking up pet waste
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limiting fertilizer use
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planting native vegetation
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avoiding feeding waterfowl
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disposing of yard waste properly
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capturing rainwater with rain barrels or rain gardens
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placing trash, recycling, and compost in the appropriate bins
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Stormwater at Home (SIC)
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Wendy’s podcast: growing green infrastructure
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SciToons Eutrophication video
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Learn more about Green Infrastructure Monitoring and Improvement at Roger Williams Park
Roger Williams Park provides necessary habitats for many bird species. Wetlands and shorelines attract year-round residents like great blue herons, belted kingfishers, and red-winged blackbirds, summer breeders like osprey, as well as winter visitors like common mergansers and buffleheads. During spring and fall migration, the park also serves as a resting stop for birds traveling thousands of miles.
Birds are excellent indicators of ecosystem health. Clean water supports fish and insects, which in turn provide food for birds. Trees and shrubs offer nesting sites and shelter from predators. Protecting these habitats is critical to supporting healthy bird populations.
The park is also home to Canada Geese. Originally a migratory species only visiting Rhode Island in spring and fall, they can now be found in the state year-round. While they are a familiar sight, large populations can impact the health of local waterways. Geese produce significant amounts of waste, which adds nutrients and bacteria to the water. This can contribute to algae blooms and poor water quality, creating unhealthy conditions for both people and aquatic life. They also graze heavily on shoreline plants. When this vegetation is lost, it reduces the land’s ability to stabilize soil, filter runoff, and protect the water. Feeding geese and ducks encourages unnaturally high concentrations of birds, making these water quality problems worse. Please don’t feed the birds!
Sign 5: Wings Over Water
Birds of Roger Williams Park
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Sounds and images of birds mentioned
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Museum of Natural History – birds in their collections, monthly bird walks
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Learn about the Stormwater Innovation Center’s Canada Goose study: https://www.stormwaterinnovation.org/canada-goose-survey
Sign 6: Community Science at Roger Williams Park
The Providence Parks Department invites the community to engage with city parks through community science and stewardship, highlighting that our parks are a place for experiential learning and shared responsibility. At Roger Williams Park, scientists and community volunteers are actively tracking the health of the park’s ponds and stormwater systems through several projects.
One important project is Watershed Watch, a volunteer-based water quality monitoring program led by the University of Rhode Island. Volunteers regularly collect data on key indicators of pond health, including temperature, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, nutrients, bacteria, alkalinity, and pH. These measurements help scientists and community members better understand the condition of the water and how it changes over time.
Another way volunteers help is through RainSnap, a community monitoring network where volunteers upload photos and videos of stormwater and green infrastructure in action during rain events. These observations help experts see how stormwater features are performing and how water flows across the land and into the park’s ponds.
These projects collect data that help guide decision making, evaluate restoration success, and ultimately help us steward a healthier watershed for wildlife and people alike.
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Learn more about SIC volunteer opportunities: https://www.stormwaterinnovation.org/volunteering
This product has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under Assistance Agreement CE00A01306 to the recipient. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the U.S. EPA endorse trade names or recommend the use of any products, services, or enterprises mentioned in this document.