250 R.I. Code R. 250-RICR-150-15-3.23

Current through November 7, 2024

Section 250-RICR-150-15-3.23 - Statewide Buffer Zone Designations

A. § 3.23 of this Part presents the statewide buffer zones designated by the Director to protect freshwater wetlands, including rivers and ponds, consistent with § 3.7 of this Part. The buffer zones are applicable to projects or activities that are subject to freshwater wetlands permitting requirements, except as otherwise provided for in §§ 3.5.7 and 3.13.1 through 3.13.4 of this Part which govern freshwater wetlands for farmers conducting farming activities.

B. The designated buffer zones are organized into regions which are depicted on a map described in § 3.23(C) of this Part and included in § 3.24 of this Part. The regions are:

1. Non-urban River Protection Region 1 and River Protection Region 2: These Regions includes watershed areas that are high priorities for conservation of fish and wildlife habitat, including rivers which rank highest on a Rhode Island stream condition index, as well as areas of the State that exhibit a mix of land uses, watershed characteristics and settings.

2. Urban Region: This Region includes densely developed areas of the State including portions of watersheds that contain high percentages of impervious cover and areas that are already developed or altered.

C. The Freshwater Wetlands Buffer Regions map prepared by the Department is adopted by reference with the promulgation of these Rules (§ 3.24 of this Part). The map shall be on file and made available for review at the Department. Additionally, the map information will be made available for viewing through the Department's website. The map should be used to identify the Region within which a property is located and the buffer zone requirements that correspond to that Region as specified within § 3.23 of this Part.

D. Buffer zone requirements applicable to public drinking water supply reservoirs and their watersheds are presented in §§ 3.23(H)(1), (H)(2)(a) and (H)(4) of this Part.

E. The buffer zone requirements in each region are specified for various types of freshwater wetlands including ponds, vegetated freshwater wetlands, vernal pools, and rivers and streams. The following freshwater wetland subtypes are described to guide their proper identification:

1. Wet meadow: A marsh that does not typically have standing water and is periodically grazed or mowed

2. Phragmites marsh: A marsh whose plant community is composed of more than seventy-five percent (75%) non-native common reed (Phragmites australis)

3. Shrub swamp: A swamp or portion of a swamp whose plant community is composed of greater than fifty percent (50%) woody plants less than twenty feet (20') tall

4. Evergreen forested swamp: A swamp or portion of a swamp whose overstory is composed of greater than fifty percent (50%) Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) or Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) trees

5. Swamp with great-laurel Rhododendron: A swamp or portion of a swamp whose understory is composed of great-laurel Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) shrubs

6. For the purpose of identifying freshwater wetlands and their associated buffer zones, an emergent plant community shall be considered a marsh and a submergent plant community shall be considered a pond.

7. Fens are open canopy, groundwater-fed freshwater wetlands with less than fifty percent (50%) cover of trees. Shrubs are frequently present (less than fifty percent (50%) cover) as are grasses and mosses. The dominant plants are sedges.

8. Floodplain forests are hardwood swamps on lower terraces of river floodplains characterized by a flooding regime in which low areas are flooded annually, usually in the spring. In northern Rhode Island (along the Blackstone River and smaller rivers in Providence County) they are characterized by silver maple (Acer saccharinum) and sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) trees, while in southern Rhode Island (along the lower Pawcatuck River) they are characterized by red maple (Acer rubrum), pin oak (Quercus palustris) and green ash (Fraxinus pensylvanica) trees.

9. Freshwater pond shores that support coastal plain species are gently sloping sandy-gravelly shores of kettle ponds or pond depressions within Rhode Island's coastal region. They may be seasonally or semipermanently flooded, and they support distinct assemblages of grasses, sedges, rushes and other herbaceous plants.

F. Measurement of Freshwater Wetland Buffer Zones

1. The buffer zone shall be measured perpendicularly, without regard for topography, outward from the edge of the freshwater wetland as a horizontal distance. The freshwater wetland edge shall be determined consistent with § 3.21 of this Part.

2. The buffer zone associated with vegetated freshwater wetlands shall be designated based upon the wetland type or subtype identified at the edge in accordance with § 3.23 of this Part. An additional twenty-five feet (25') will be added to the buffer zone width when one (1) or more differing freshwater wetland types or subtypes are present within fifty feet (50') inward of the freshwater wetland edge, but in no case will a buffer zone exceed the limit of a jurisdictional area. In large freshwater wetland systems, it is not necessary to map all of the interior wetland types.

3. For the purpose of designating a buffer zone, it may be necessary to determine the size of a freshwater wetland.

4. In the event that a property straddles a Region boundary, a buffer zone width shall be designated consistent with the Region within which its' associated freshwater wetland is located.

5. In the event of the documented presence of a rare plant, rare animal or rare freshwater wetland type, the Department reserves the right to increase the associated buffer zone width designated in §§ 3.23(H) or (I) of this Part.

G. Identifying the Existing Buffer within a Buffer Zone: On properties where a portion of the designated buffer zone has been developed or altered, the extent of existing undeveloped vegetated land shall include all areas adjacent to the freshwater wetlands that are not existing building, pavement, lawn or bare gravel.

H. Designated Buffer Zones in the non-urban River Protection Region 1 and River Protection Region 2

1. The following Public Drinking Water Supply Reservoirs are designated a two hundred foot (200') buffer zone:

Public Drinking Water Supply	Reservoir Name	Reservoir Location
a. Cumberland Water Supply	Sneech Pond	Cumberland
b. Eleanor Slater Hospital/Zambarano Unit	Wallum Lake	Burrillville
c. Jamestown Water Supply	North Carr Pond and South Watson Pond	Jamestown
d. New Shoreham Water Supply	Fresh Pond and Sands Pond	New Shoreham
e. Newport Water Supply	Lawton Valley Reservoir and St. Mary's Pond	Portsmouth
f. Newport Water Supply	(South) Easton Pond and Green End Pond (North Easton Pond)	Middletown, Newport
g. Newport Water Supply	Nelson (Paradise) Pond and Gardiner Pond	Middletown
h. Newport Water Supply	Sisson Pond	Portsmouth
i. Newport Water Supply	Nonquit Pond	Tiverton
j. Newport Water Supply	Watson Reservoir	Little Compton
k. Pawtucket Water Supply Board	Arnold Mills Reservoir, Diamond Hill Reservoir, Happy Hollow Pond, and Robin Hollow Pond	Cumberland
l. Providence Water Supply Board	Barden Reservoir	Foster, Scituate
m. Providence Water Supply Board	Moswansicut Pond	Johnston, Scituate
n. Providence Water Supply Board	Scituate Reservoir and Regulating Reservoir	Scituate
o. Providence Water Supply Board	Westconnaug Reservoir	Foster
p. Stone Bridge Water Supply	Stafford Pond	Tiverton
q. Woonsocket Water Supply	Reservoir #1	North Smithfield
r. Woonsocket Water Supply	Reservoir #3	North Smithfield, Smithfield
s. Woonsocket Water Supply	Harris Pond	Woonsocket
t. Yawgoog Scout Reservation	Yawgoog Pond	Hopkinton

2. Ponds within River Protection Region 1 or River Protection Region 2 are designated the following buffer zones:

Resource	Criteria		Buffer Zone Width (Feet)
a. Ponds	Contiguous to a River within the watershed of a Public Drinking Water Supply Reservoir named in § 3.23(H)(1) of this Part		100
b. Ponds	Greater than or equal to ten (10) acres,		100
	Except the following:		50
	Boone Lake	Exeter
	Central Pond (Turner Reservoir North)	East Providence
	Designated portions of Flat River Reservoir	Coventry
	Echo Lake (Pascoag Reservoir)	Burrillville and Glocester
	Lake Washington	Glocester
	Little Maschaug Pond	Westerly
	Lower Sprague Reservoir	Smithfield
	Maple Root Pond	Coventry
	Mishnock Lake	West Greenwich
	Sand Pond/Little Pond	Warwick
	Scott Pond	Lincoln
	Tiogue Lake	Coventry
	Oak Swamp Reservoir	Johnston
	Slacks Reservoir	Smithfield
	Spring Lake	Burrillville
c. Ponds	Greater than or equal to one quarter (1/4) acre and less than ten (10) acres		50
d. Ponds	Less than one quarter (1/4) acre		25
e. Highway ponds	Any size, located within a highway center median or a highway entrance or exit ramp that are not designed as stormwater treatment systems		25

3. Vegetated freshwater wetlands and vernal pools within River Protection Region 1 or River Protection Region 2 are designated the following buffer zones:

Resource Type	Criteria	Buffer Zone Width (Feet)
a. Bogs	Any size	100
b. Marshes	Any size	100
	Except, a wet meadow or Phragmites marsh greater than or equal to one (1) acre; or	50
	Except, a wet meadow or Phragmites marsh less than one (1) acre	25
c. Swamps - Evergreen forested	Greater than or equal to one (1) acre	100
d. Swamps - with great-laurel (Rhododendron maximum)	Greater than or equal to one (1) acre	100
e. Swamps - Deciduous forested	Greater than or equal to ten (10) acres	75
f. Swamps - Shrub swamp	Greater than or equal to one (1) acre	75
g. Swamps - Deciduous forested	Greater than or equal to one (1) acre and less than ten (10) acres	50
h. Swamps - Any	Less than one (1) acre	25
i. Vernal pools	Greater than or equal to fifty percent (50%) undeveloped vegetated land within one hundred feet (100') of its edge	100
i. Vernal pools	Less than fifty percent (50%) undeveloped vegetated land within one hundred feet (100') of its edge	50
j. Highway wetlands	Any size located within a highway center median or a highway entrance or exit ramp that are not designed as stormwater treatment systems	25

4. Rivers within the watersheds of the Public Drinking Water Supply Reservoirs named in § 3.23(H)(1) of this Part are designated a two hundred foot (200') buffer zone.

5. The following rivers within River Protection Region 1 or River Protection Region 2 are designated a two hundred foot (200') buffer zone:

River Name	Municipality	Description
River Name	Municipality	Start	End
Acid Factory Brook	West Greenwich	Headwaters: 41.64957, -71.71866	Outlet at Eisenhower Lake
Adamsville Brook	Tiverton, Little Compton	King Road	MA/RI Border
Ashaway River	Hopkinton	Headwaters: 41.43762, -71.79151	Confluence with Pawcatuck River
Bear Brook	Coventry	Harkney Hill Rd. Crossing: 41.67681, -71.65409	Outlet at Reynolds Pond
Bear Brook Tributary	Coventry	Outlet of unnamed pond: 41.667, -71.649	Confluence of Bear Brook
Beaver River	Exeter, Richmond	Outlet of James Pond	Confluence with Pawcatuck River
Big River	West Greenwich	Confluence of the Congdon River and Nooseneck River	Outlet at Reynolds Pond
Blackstone River	North Smithfield	MA/RI Border at 42.014, -71.553	MA/RI Border at 42.014, -71.543
Blackstone River	Woonsocket, Cumberland, Lincoln	Power line crossing at 41.987, -71.491	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Broad Street
Branch River	Burrillville	Confluence of the Chepachet River and the Clear River	Outlet at Slatersville Reservoir
Brandy Brook	Glocester	Outlet of Burlingame Reservoir	Outlet at Echo Lake
Breakheart Brook	Exeter, West Greenwich	Headwaters: 41.65257, -71.69632	Confluence with Flat River
Brushy Brook	Hopkinton	Exeter-Hopkinton town line	Outlet at Locustville Pond
Bucks Horn Brook	Coventry	Headwaters: 41.70469, -71.71060	Confluence with Moosup River
Canonchet Brook	Hopkinton	Headwaters: 41.496, -71.771	Confluence with Wood River
Carr River	West Greenwich	Outlet of Carr Pond	Confluence with Big River
Chepachet River	Burrillville, Glocester	Outlet of Smith amp; Sayles Reservoir	Confluence with Clear River
Chickasheen Brook	South Kingstown	Northern Crossing of Route 2, Approximately 41.52354, -71.55326	Confluence with Usquepaug River
Chipuxet River	Exeter, South Kingstown	Outlet of The Reservoir	Outlet at Worden Pond
Chockalog River	Burrillville	MA/RI Border	Confluence with Nipmuc River
Clear River	Burrillville, Glocester	Headwaters: 42.00024, -71.75811	Confluence with Chepachet River
Coney Brook	West Greenwich	Outlet of Tillinghast Pond	Confluence with Kelley Brook
Congdon River	Exeter, West Greenwich	Outlet of Millbrook Pond	Confluence with Nooseneck River
Diamond Brook	Richmond	Outlet of Carolina Trout Pond	Confluence with Wood River
Dry Arm Brook	Burrillville	Outlet of Round Lake	Confluence with Clear River
Dundery Brook	Little Compton	Holly Berry Hill	Outlet at Briggs Pond
Dutemple Brook	Exeter	Widow Sweets Rd. Crossing	Confluence with Fisherville Brook
Factory Brook	Coventry	Outlet of Eisenhower Lake	Confluence with Flat River
Fisherville Brook	Coventry, Exeter	Henry Brown Farm Rd. Crossing	Confluence with Sodom Brook
Flat River	Coventry	Confluence of Negro Sawmill Brook and Pine Swamp Brook	Outlet at Flat River Reservoir (Johnson's Pond)
Glen Rock Brook	Richmond, South Kingstown	Headwaters: 41.54083, -71.62463	Outlet at Glen Rock Reservoir
Herring Brook	Burrillville	Outlet of Spring Lake	Confluence with Clear River
Kelley Brook	Coventry	Outlet of Wickaboxet Pond	Confluence with Wood River
Leland Brook	Burrillville	Jackson Schoolhouse Rd. Crossing	Outlet at Wilson Reservoir
Locke Brook	Exeter	Outlet of Metcalf Wildlife Marsh	Confluence with Queen River
Log House Brook	Hopkinton	Headwaters: 41.543, -71.772	Moscow Brook
McCuster Brook	Coventry	Victory Falls Rd. Crossing	Confluence with Flat River
Mattatuxet River	North Kingstown	Outlet at Silver Spring Lake	Outlet at Pettasquamscutt River
Meadow Brook	Richmond	Carolina Nooseneck Rd. Northern Crossing	Confluence with Pawcatuck River
Moosup River	Coventry, Exeter	Clark Pond, Foster	CT/RI Border
Moscow Brook	Hopkinton	Outlet of Winchek Pond	Confluence with Brushy Brook
Mowry Brook	Burrillville	Powerline Crossing: 41.98744, -71.72239	Confluence with Clear River
Negro Sawmill Brook	Coventry	Waterman Hill Rd. Crossing	Confluence with Flat River
Nipmuc River	Burrillville	Confluence with Round Top Brook and Chockolog River	Confluence with Clear River
Nooseneck River	West Greenwich	Sharpe St. Crossing	Confluence with Congdon River
Parris Brook	Exeter	Outlet of Tippecansett Pond	Confluence with Wood River
Pasquiset Brook	Charlestown	Outlet of Pasquiset Pond	Confluence with Pawcatuck River
Pawcatuck River	Charlestown, South Kingstown, Westerly	Outlet of Worden Pond	Confluence of Ashaway River
Pawcatuck River	Westerly	Confluence with Ashaway River	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Canal St.; approx. 540 feet south of intersection with Arch St.
Perry Healy Brook	Westerly, Charlestown	Outlet of Unnamed Impound in Woody Hill Mgt. Area (approx. 41.37671, -71.73844)	Outlet at Watchaug Pond
Phillips Brook	West Greenwich	Pond at Elevation 456' Upstream of Plain Meeting House Rd. (Approximately 41.6469, -71.74053)	Confluence with Factory Brook
Pine Swamp Brook	Foster	Pierce Rd. Crossing	Confluence with Flat River
Poquiant Brook	Charlestown	Outlet of Watchaug Pond	Confluence with Pawcatuck River
Queens Fort Brook	Exeter	Stony Lane Crossing	Confluence with Queen River
Queen River	Exeter	Dead Swamp (41.61015, -71.55392)	Outlet at Glen Rock Reservoir
Quidneck Brook	Coventry	Outlet of Quidneck Reservoir	Outlet at Stump Pond
Raccoon Brook	West Greenwich	Interstate 95 Southbound Crossing	Confluence with Nooseneck River
Reuben Brown Brook	Exeter	Stony Lane Crossing	Confluence with Queens Fort Brook
Roaring Brook	Exeter, Richmond, West Greenwich	Interstate 95 Southbound Crossing	Confluence with Wood River
Roaring Brook	Coventry	Outlet of Arnold Pond	Confluence with Moosup River
Round Top Brook	Burrillville	MA/RI Border	Confluence with Nipmuc River
Saugatucket River	South Kingstown	Headwaters: 41.50671, -71.48833	Saugatucket Road
Saunders Brook	Glocester	Headwaters: 41.89360, -71.73540	Outlet at Keech Pond
Sherman Brook	Exeter, South Kingstown	Hog House Hill Rd. Crossing	Confluence with Glen Rock Brook
Sodom Brook	Exeter	Rt. 102 (Ten Rod Rd.) Crossing	Confluence with Queen River
Stingo Brook	Glocester	Headwaters: 41.91393, -71.69894	Confluence with Chepachet River
Taney Brook	Richmond	Headwaters: 41.478, -71.643	Confluence with Pawcatuck River
Tomaquag Brook	Hopkinton	Headwaters: 41.47282, -71.77506	Confluence with Pawcatuck River
Turkey Meadow Brook	Foster, Coventry	Headwaters: 41.74391, -71.71160	Confluence with Negro Sawmill Brook
Usquepaug River	Charlestown, South Kingstown	Outlet of Glen Rock Reservoir	Confluence with Pawcatuck River
Warwick Brook	Coventry	Nelson Capwell Rd. Crossing	Confluence with Bucks Horn Brook
West Meadow Brook	Foster	Headwaters: 41.77496, -71.74226	Confluence with Moosup River
Whaley Brook	Coventry, Foster	Headwaters: 41.73285, -71.67340	Confluence with Flat River
White Brook	Richmond	Headwaters: 41.48170, -71.66533	Confluence with Pawcatuck River
White Horn Brook	South Kingstown	Rt. 138 Crossing	Confluence with Chipuxet River
Wood River	West Greenwich, Exeter, Charlestown, Hopkinton, Richmond	Outlet of Hazard Pond	Confluence with Pawcatuck River

6. The following rivers within River Protection Region 2 are designated a one hundred fifty foot (150') buffer zone:

River Name	Municipality	Description
River Name	Municipality	Start	End
Annaquatucket River	North Kingstown	Fish Hatchery	Bissel Cove
Blackstone Canal	Lincoln	Divergence from Blackstone River at Ashton Dam	Outlet at Scott Pond
Branch River	North Smithfield	Outlet of the Slatersville Reservoir	Confluence with Blackstone River
Buckeye Brook	Warwick	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Warwick Avenue	Tidewater Drive, Warwick
Cherry Brook	North Smithfield, Woonsocket	Headwaters: 41.98166, -71.53613	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Rockland Avenue
Cocumscussoc Brook	North Kingstown	Headwaters: 41.58454, -71.48074	Outlet at Wickford Harbor
Cutler Brook	Glocester	Headwaters: 41.90633, -71.61426	Outlet at Waterman Reservoir
Dark Entry Brook	Warwick, East Greenwich	4140'57.26"N; 07128'14.10"W	Confluence with Bleachery Pond/Maskerchugg River
Dry Brook	Johnston	Outlet of Oak Swamp Reservoir	Confluence with Pocasset River
Frenchtown Brook	West Greenwich, East Greenwich	Headwaters: 41.62188, -71.54634	Confluence with Hunt River
Furnace Hill Brook	Johnston, Cranston	Headwaters: 41.79580, -71.55239	Confluence with Meshanticut
Hardig Brook	Warwick	4141'19.15"N; 07131'2.69"W	Outlet at Apponaug Cove
Harris Brook	Smithfield	Outlet of Harris Pond	Outlet at Georgiaville Pond
Hunt River	East Greenwich, North Kingstown	Headwaters: 41.61148, -71.50471	Outlet at Potowomut River
Lockwood Brook	Warwick	Outlet of unnamed pond at 4143'15.65"N; 07123'58.46"W	Confluence with Old Mill Creek
Maskerchugg River	Warwick, East Greenwich	Headwaters: 41.68193, -71.48196	Outlet at Greenwich Cove
Meshanticut Brook	Cranston, Warwick	Headwaters: 41.77353, -71.47209	Confluence with the Main Stem of the Pawtuxet River
Moshassuck River	Lincoln, Central Falls, Pawtucket, and Providence	Wellington Road, Lincoln	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Walker Street
Pawtuxet River Main Stem	West Warwick, Warwick, Cranston	Confluence of the North Branch Pawtuxet River and South Branch Pawtuxet River	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Bald Hill Road
Pawtuxet River North Branch	Scituate, Coventry, Cranston, West Warwick	Outlet of Gainer Memorial Dam (Scituate Reservoir)	Confluence with Pawtuxet River Main Stem
Pawtuxet River South Branch	Coventry, West Warwick, Warwick	Outlet of Flat River Reservoir	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Main Street (Rt. 117)
Pawtuxet River South Branch	West Warwick	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Washington Secondary Bikeway	Confluence with Pawtuxet River Main Stem
Pocasset River	Johnston	Rt. 6, Johnston	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Plainfield Street
Runnins River	East Providence	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Mink St.	Outlet at Barrington River
Sandhill Brook	North Kingstown	Outlet of Sawmill Pond	Confluence with Hunt River
Saugatucket River	South Kingstown	Saugatucket Road	Outlet at Point Judith Pond
Simmons Brook	Johnston	Outlet of Simmons Reservoir	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Mill Street
Sin and Flesh Brook	Tiverton	Industrial Way, Tiverton	Highland Rd, Tiverton
Tarkiln Brook	Burrillville, Glocester, North Smithfield	Outlet of Nichols Pond	Outlet at Slatersville Reservoir
Ten Mile River	East Providence, Pawtucket	MA/RI Border	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Pawtucket Ave.
Tuscatucket Brook	Warwick	Non-urban and urban region boundary at West Shore Rd	Outlet at Brush Neck Cove
West River	North Providence, Providence, Lincoln, Smithfield	Greenwood Lane, Lincoln	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Mineral Spring Ave.
Woonasquatucket River	Smithfield, North Providence, Providence, Johnston	Headwaters: 41.95183, -71.55528	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Smith Street (Rt. 44)

7. All rivers within River Protection Region 1 that are not identified above in §§ 3.23(H)(4) or (5) of this Part are designated a one hundred fifty foot (150') buffer zone.

8. All rivers within River Protection Region 2 identified by the Department as cold water fisheries are designated a one hundred fifty foot (150') buffer zone.

9. All other rivers within River Protection Region 2 that are not identified above in §§ 3.23(H)(4), (5), (6) or (8) of this Part are designated a one hundred foot (100') buffer zone.

10. All streams in River Protection Region 1 or River Protection Region 2 are designated a one hundred foot (100') buffer zone.

I. Designated Buffer Zones in the Urban Region

1. The following ponds within the urban region are designated a fifty foot (50') buffer zone:

Name	Location
a. Blackamore Pond	Cranston
b. Canada Pond	Providence
c. Davol Pond	North Kingstown
d. Fenner Pond	Cranston
e. Mashapaug Pond	Providence
f. Omega Pond	East Providence
g. Posnegansett Pond	Warwick
h. Print Works Pond	Cranston
i. Randall Pond	Cranston
j. Roger Williams Park Ponds	Providence
k. Sand Pond (No. of Airport)	Warwick
l. Spectacle Pond	Cranston
m. Three Ponds	Warwick
n. Turner Reservoir (South)	East Providence
o. Warwick Pond	Warwick

2. All other ponds, including highway ponds, in the urban region are designated a twenty-five foot (25') buffer zone.

3. Vegetated freshwater wetlands and vernal pools in the urban region are designated the following buffer zones:

Resource Type	Criteria	Buffer Zone Width (Feet)
a. Bogs	Any size	100
b. Marshes	Any size	100
	Except, a wet meadow or Phragmites marsh greater than or equal to one (1) acre; or	50
	Except, a wet meadow or Phragmites marsh less than one (1) acre	25
c. Swamps - Evergreen forested	Greater than or equal to one (1) acre	100
d. Swamps - all other	Any size	25
e. Vernal pools	Greater than or equal to fifty percent (50%) undeveloped vegetated land within one hundred feet (100') of its edge	100
e. Vernal pools	Less than fifty percent (50%) undeveloped vegetated land within one hundred feet (100') of its edge	50
f. Highway wetlands	Any size located within a highway center median or a highway entrance or exit ramp that is not designed as stormwater treatment systems	25

4. The following rivers in the urban region are designated a one hundred fifty foot (150') buffer zone:

River Name	Municipality	Description
River Name	Municipality	Start	End
Blackstone River	Woonsocket	MA/RI Border at 42.015, -71.529	Power line crossing at 41.987, -71.491
Blackstone River	Cumberland, Central Falls, Pawtucket	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Broad Street	Outlet to Seekonk River
Pawtuxet River South Branch	West Warwick	Main Street (Rt. 117)	Washington Secondary Bikeway

5. The following rivers in the urban region are designated a one hundred foot (100') buffer zone:

River Name	Municipality	Description
River Name	Municipality	Start	End
Buckeye Brook	Warwick	Unnamed tributary at Airport Road	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Warwick Avenue
Cherry Brook	Woonsocket	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Rockland Avenue	Confluence with the Blackstone River
Mill River	Woonsocket	MA/RI Border	Confluence with Blackstone River
Moshassuck River	Lincoln, Central Falls, Pawtucket, and Providence	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Walker St.	Confluence with the Woonasquatu cket River
Pawcatuck River	Westerly	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Canal St., approx. five hundred forty feet (540') north of intersection with Arch St.	Outlet at Little Narragansett Bay
Pawtuxet River Main Stem	West Warwick, Warwick, Cranston	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Bald Hill Road	Outlet at Pawtuxet Cove
Peters River	Woonsocket	MA/RI Border	Confluence with the Blackstone River
Pocasset River	Cranston, Johnston	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Plainfield Street	Confluence with Main Stem Pawtuxet River
Runnins River	Providence, East Providence	MA/RI Border at County St.	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Mink St.
Simmons Brook	Johnston	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Mill Street	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Atwood Ave.
Ten Mile River	East Providence, Pawtucket	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Pawtucket Avenue	Outlet at Omega Pond
Tuscatucket Brook	Warwick	Headwaters: 41.711, -71.432	Non-urban and urban region boundary at West Shore Road
West River	North Providence, Providence	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Mineral Spring Avenue	Confluence with Moshassuck River
Woonasquatu cket River	Smithfield, North Providence, Providence, Johnston	Non-urban and urban region boundary at Smith Street	Confluence with Moshassuck River

6. All other rivers in the urban region (see § 3.24 of this Part) not identified in §§ 3.23(I)(4) and (5) of this Part are designated a fifty foot (50') buffer zone.

7. All streams in the urban region (see § 3.24 of this Part) are designated a fifty foot (50') buffer zone.

250 R.I. Code R. 250-RICR-150-15-3.23

Adopted effective 1/13/2022
Amended effective 7/15/2022