First Boat Trip of the Year: Chasing nutrients on the water

After months of waiting and prepping, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of gliding over the water as the world wakes up around you. Our mission this trip? To gather essential nutrients and monitor the health of our water ways. As we cruised along, we collected surface and bottom nutrient samples and watch the surface for signs of life. The first trip of the season isn’t just about science-it’s about reconnecting with nature, honoring the rhythms of our environment, and reminding ourselves why we do what we do. Here’s to many more days on the water this year, chasing nutrients, tracking change, and finding joy in every ripple. We able to catch a picture of a harbor seal basking in the sun right outside Fields point outfall.

Enter NBC’s 2027 Student Poster Contest Today!

Contest deadline is Friday, May 1!

The Narragansett Bay Commission (NBC) is proud to sponsor its 33rd annual student poster contest. The theme of this year’s contest is Water’s Journey Through Time. The NBC would like students to artistically showcase how water has changed or will change over time. Students may want to research what the Narragansett Bay looked like many years ago and depict that view in their poster. Some may want to use their imaginations and create a poster of what Narragansett Bay will look like 20, 30, 40, or even 50 years from now. Others may want to create snapshots of Narragansett Bay starting in the past and traveling into the future. We encourage students to use their creativity and come up with their own idea of what the theme means to them.

The theme of the poster contest this year correlates with an event where NBC will open a time capsule that was buried 25 years ago. The time capsule was buried on April 24, 2001, in honor of NBC Field’s Point Wastewater Treatment Facility’s 100th birthday! The ceremony will take place during Clean Water Week. There are other events happening around the state honoring water that week. Please visit https://ricwa.org/event/clean-water-week-open-house/ to learn more.

The contest rules are as follows:

  • Students must be in grades K-6 and reside in Providence, North Providence, Johnston, Central Falls, Lincoln, Pawtucket, Cumberland, Cranston, Smithfield, or East Providence.
  • Posters cannot be larger than 11×17 or smaller than 8 1/2×11.
  • Posters must include the student’s name, grade, school, home address, and phone number on the back.
  • Posters become the property of the Narragansett Bay Commission.
  • Winners receive a $100 cash prize, winning posters are printed in NBC’s 2027 poster calendar, and winners are invited to a recognition ceremony on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026 at 5:00 at the NBC Field’s Point Wastewater Treatment Facility at 2 Ernest Street, Providence. 
  • Mail posters to the Narragansett Bay Commission’s Public Affairs Office at One Service Road, Providence, RI 02905.
  • THE CONTEST DEADLINE IS FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2026!

We hope that your school will be able to participate in the contest! For more information, please call the NBC’s Environmental Education Coordinator at 401-443-4947.

February 18, 2026

Nutrient samples were collected from six river stations on February 18th.  In the five days prior to sampling, 0.25” of precipitation were recorded at T.F. Green.

Among the river stations sampled, the highest total nitrogen (TN), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) were observed at Blackstone River @ Slater Mill (TN = 1,430 ppb, TDN = 2,170 ppb, DIN = 1,249.2 ppb). The lowest TN, TDN, and DIN were observed at Moshassuck River @ Higginson Ave. (TN = 710 ppb, TDN = 702 ppb, DIN = 595.9 ppb).

The next scheduled sampling date is March 4th, 2026.

February 4, 2026

Nutrient samples were collected from nine river stations on February 4th.  In the five days prior to sampling, 0.0” of precipitation were recorded at T.F. Green.

Among the river stations sampled, the highest total nitrogen (TN), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) were observed at Ten Mile River @ Roger Williams Ave. (TN = 3,530 ppb, TDN = 3,510 ppb, DIN = 3,336 ppb). The lowest TN, TDN, and DIN were observed at Coles River @ Milford Rd. (TN = 830 ppb, TDN = 938 ppb, DIN = 731 ppb).

The next scheduled sampling date is February 18th, 2026.

January 21, 2026

Nutrient samples were collected from seven river stations on January 21st.  In the five days prior to sampling, 0.7” of precipitation were recorded at T.F. Green.

Among the river stations sampled, the highest total nitrogen (TN), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) were observed at Pawtuxet River @ Broad St. (TN = 1,710 ppb, TDN = 1,710 ppb, DIN = 1,519.5 ppb). The lowest TN, TDN, and DIN were observed at Moshassuck River @ Footbridge at Mill St. (TN = 563 ppb, TDN = 572 ppb, DIN = 424.3 ppb).

The next scheduled sampling date is February 4th, 2026.

January 7, 2026

Nutrient samples were collected from thirteen river stations on January 7th.  In the five days prior to sampling, 0.11” of precipitation were recorded at T.F. Green.

Among the river stations sampled, the highest total nitrogen (TN), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) were observed at Pawtuxet River @ Broad St. (TN = 2,160 ppb, TDN = 2,330 ppb, DIN = 1,234.2 ppb). The lowest TN, TDN, and DIN were observed at Woonasquatucket River @ Manton Ave. Bridge (TN = 808 ppb, TDN = 910 ppb, DIN = 655.9 ppb).

The next scheduled sampling date is January 21st, 2026.

Apply Today for an Environmental Merit Award

The Narragansett Bay Commission (NBC) is proud to announce the thirty-first annual NBC Environmental Merit Awards program. Through this program the NBC offers three types of Environmental Merit Awards: the NBC Pollution Prevention Award which honors (a) companies that have demonstrated efforts that go above and beyond NBC regulatory compliance requirements using pollution prevention techniques/technologies and (b) organizations or individuals that have helped promote pollution prevention and regulatory compliance within the regulatory community; the NBC Perfect Compliance Award which is given to each Significant Industrial User that achieves perfect compliance with all NBC regulatory requirements during the previous calendar year, and the NBC Stormwater Management Award which is given to companies, organizations or individuals that successfully use Best Management Practices to minimize stormwater impacts on the NBC sewer collection system.

Applications are due March 6, 2026. Download your application form here.

December 24, 2025

Nutrient samples were collected from seven river stations on December 24th.  In the five days prior to sampling, 0.77” of precipitation were recorded at T.F. Green.

Among the river stations sampled, the highest total nitrogen (TN), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) were observed at Pawtuxet River @ Broad St. TN = 1,670 ppb, TDN = 1,700 ppb, DIN = 1,567.1 ppb). The lowest TN, TDN, and DIN were observed at Moshassuck River @ Higginson Ave. (TN = 563 ppb, TDN = 572 ppb, DIN = 424.3 ppb).

The next scheduled sampling date is January 7th, 2026.

December 10, 2025

Nutrient samples were collected from thirteen river stations on December 10th.  In the five days prior to sampling, 0.07” of precipitation were recorded at T.F. Green.

Among the river stations sampled, the highest total nitrogen (TN), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) were observed at Ten Mile River @ Central Ave. (TN = 3,100 ppb, TDN = 3,130 ppb, DIN = 2,793.0 ppb). The lowest TN and TDN were observed at Moshassuck River @ Higginson Ave (TN = 480 ppb, TDN = 554 ppb). The lowest DIN was observed at Coles River @ Milford Rd. (245.7 ppb).

The next scheduled sampling date is December 24th, 2025.

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