Kickemuit River

The Kickemuit River (sometimes written Kickamuit; kick-eh-MEW-it^[1]) is a river in the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island flowing approximately 7.9 miles (12.7 km).^[2]

Kickemuit River Kickamuit River
An informational display tells the history of the Kickemuit River.
Etymology	Narragansett
Location
Country	United States
Cities	Warren, Rhode Island Rehoboth, Massachusetts
Towns	Bristol, Rhode Island

History

The name Kickemuit is a Narragansett word that has other spellings, an example of which (Kickamuit) is in the map provided below. The river was a major traffic artery during the American Revolutionary War, and supplies traveled upriver daily.^[3] By the 1800s, oyster beds were a major revenue source, but effluent from the nearby Parker Mills and general sewage pollution killed most of the oysters by 1910.^[3] The Kickemuit River oyster industry was ended with the 1938 New England hurricane.^[3]

The Kickemuit River is classified as a Class A, Type II Waterway and open to both recreational activities and shell-fishing.^{[citation needed]}

Course

Map of Mount Hope Bay. The Kickemuit River is in the upper left corner. Note its alternate spelling. The Bristol Narrows are immediately below the word River.

The river's source is in Rehoboth, Massachusetts in the swamps north of Locust Street in Swansea. Since 1883, the river flowed due south to Swansea and into the Warren Reservoir, which drained approximately 2,300 acres (9.3 km²). From then until early 2024, the reservoir's dam formed the boundary between fresh and salt water. In January 2024, with the reservoir out-of-service since 1998, the 250-foot dam was demolished. The Kickemuit River returned to historic tidal flow.^[4]

From the dam’s former site, the river flows generally southwest, then southeast to Mount Hope Bay, passing to the east of the center of the town of Warren, Rhode Island and ending with Bristol, Rhode Island to the west with part of Warren, Rhode Island to the east. The river exits in a passage through the Bristol Narrows into Mount Hope Bay.

Crossings

Below is a list of crossings over the Kickemuit River. The list starts at the headwaters and goes downstream.

• Swansea, Massachusetts
  • Locust Street
  • Reed Street
  • Interstate 195
  • Stephen French Road
  • Colletti Lane
  • Fall River Avenue (U.S. 6)
  • Burnside Drive
  • Lynnwood Road
  • Bushee Road
• Warren, Rhode Island
  • Schoolhouse Road
  • Child Street (RI 103)

Tributaries

Heath Brook is the Kickemuit River's only named tributary, though it has many unnamed streams that also feed it.

Gallery

A snow squall over the Kickemuit River

Kickemuit River panorama taken at Warren Bike Path. Remains of train bridge in center.

See also

• List of rivers of Massachusetts
• List of rivers of Rhode Island