Access Site Improvements

Name: eRegulations
Price range: $

DEM’s Gull Cove Fishing Area in Portsmouth Has an Interesting History

By Lauren Miller-Donnelly, RI DEM Public Access Coordinator

On the north end of Aquidneck Island nestled between the highway and the Island Park neighborhood of Portsmouth is a tidal estuary system that empties into the Sakonnet River known as “The Cove”.

Accessible via the north-bound side of Route 24, RIDEM’s Gull Cove Fishing Area is a popular destination for recreational fishing, shell fishing, and small craft boating. The area is suitable for small boat launching and provides access to an estuarine system that includes hidden coves and tidal creeks. Some of cove’s waters are shallow, measuring less than 4 feet in depth during the lowest tides, ideal for shellfishing and for paddling.

Prior to the construction of the Sakonnet River Bridge in 1956 a portion of the Cove was transformed from an orchard to open water. The excavation work for the new bridge and the route 24 highway created three tidally influenced and interconnected water bodies. As the water empties the area, water rushes through a narrow channel. Because of this, erosion rates are high at the public access area.

Severe and more frequent storms events and increasing monthly tidal flooding events are already affecting the Ocean State and the Gull Cove is in the crosshairs. The rate of erosion observed at the access area the last decade is alarming. Because of this, RIDEM identified funds to design improvements that will increase the longevity of the Area and will provide safer access. The project, which is in the design-phase, will include nature-based shore stabilization and habitat restoration techniques as well as improved parking. Stabilizing the property against erosion threats will help restore sensitive coastal habitats and reduce further environmental impacts to important resources in the Gull Cove estuary including the recreational fish, shellfish resources, eelgrass beds, and saltmarsh habitats. The goal for the improvements is that the site will continue to provide recreational uses into the future.

Historic 1952 aerial photo of Gull Cove in Rhode Island, showing the coastal landscape prior to excavation, with visible roads and undeveloped shoreline. — An aerial photo of Gull Cove taken in 1952, before excavation reshaped the area. This historic view highlights the natural coastline and early infrastructure development.

Above: An aerial photo of Gull Cove from 1952 prior to excavation. The light blue highlighted section was once agricultural land before the waters of the cove were expanded.

Below: Recent satellite imagery of Gull Cove (2020).

2020 satellite image of Gull Cove in Rhode Island showing developed shoreline, nearby residential areas, State Route 24, and surrounding inlets and islands. — Recent satellite imagery of Gull Cove (2020) reveals extensive shoreline development, nearby neighborhoods, and roadways like State Route 24 that frame this coastal area.