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Senator Reed joined Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit and Colonel Christopher Barron of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers together with federal, state, and local officials at a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Ten Mile River Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Project.  The project restores river herring to the Ten Mile River watershed and provides river connectivity for other resident fish species.

The event took place at the Hunt’s Mill Dam historic site in East Providence, one of the three dams where fish ladders were constructed to allow the passage of river herring along the Ten Mile River.  The 56 square-mile Ten Mile River watershed originates in Massachusetts, crosses into Rhode Island, flows through East Providence, and then enters the Seekonk River (one of the headwaters of Narragansett Bay) at Omega Pond Dam.

The project was constructed in two phases.  Construction of fish passages at Turner Reservoir and Hunt’s Mill Dams began in unison and finished in September 2012.  The Omega Pond Dam started at a later date and was completed in April 2015. 

"This is a real environmental and engineering success story.  I am pleased to have secured federal funds to restore the health of the Ten Mile River watershed and ensure migratory fish can once again freely swim up and down the river.  After more than a decade of work, the successful completion of this project is a testament to the resilience of the many volunteers, partners, and local leaders who have been engaged along the way," said Senator Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee, who helped secure federal funding for the project.