Squantum Woods Gets Help From the EPA

Residents hoping to squeeze the last bit of fun and tranquility from will have to wait until the beginning of December. The East Providence Waterfront Commission is beginning a large-scale rescue plan of the park, aimed at addressing runoff stormwater and invasive plants in the park's pond.

The project is being made possible by a five-year-old $237,000 earmark from Sen. Jack Reed, generated from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

According to the waterfront commission's planner, Roberta Groch, the Squantum Woods pond has been compromised by the tall, invasive plant Phragmites. Work will include spraying the plants and dredging the pond, eliminating the possibility of their regrowth. Groch also said this action will boost overall quality of life for people looking to use the site for winter activities.

"It's important that we do this, so people can ice skate on the pond like they did in the old days," Groch said Wednesday.

The project is primarily addressing runoff stormwater from the neighboring road. Stormwater management controls are being installed, an important benchmark given that the water's silt contributes to the growth of the Phargmites plant.

Originally, the commission set its sights on using the funds to address similar environmental issues of , according to Groch. 

"[In the case of Bold Point Park,] we realized that if we started digging, we'd find contamination, and we had no money to address that," Groch said.

Groch went on to say that a portion of the funding went to investigate the viability of assessing the feasibility of Bold Point Park, but that the remainder of the money is allocated to addressing the environmental needs in Squantum Woods.

The project also includes cutting down 23 waterlogged and rotted trees in the park. This is an issue Groch is sensitive to. 

"I know it's difficult for people to see trees being cut down," she said. "I'm a tree person, myself. But many of these trees are already damaged. The good news is that we're replacing them with 20 new trees. There's also going to be a greater variety of species now."

According to Groch, the work is slated to be finished no later than Nov. 29, a timeline imposed by the EPA.