| Bullock Cove | |
|---|---|
 Bullock Cove, as seen from the southern shore of Richmond Point, July 2024 | |
| Location | Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island |
| Coordinates | 41°45′11.9″N71°21′16.2″W / 41.753306°N 71.354500°W |
| Type | Cove |
| Part of | Naragansett Bay, Providence River |
Bullock Cove, also known as Bullock's Cove, and Bullock's Point Cove, is a cove in the Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, between the towns of East Providence and Barrington. [1]
Archaeological evidence indicates that the area around Bullock Cove was inhabited by Native American groups during the Middle Archaic period (circa 8000-6000 B.P.). Artifacts such as chipped stones and lithic tools have been found, as well as human skeletons, indicating the presence of early human activity. Sites around the upper Narragansett Bay, including Bullocks Cove, were significant for these early inhabitants, who engaged in activities like tool-making and possibly seasonal hunting and gathering. [2] [3]
With the arrival of European settlers, the area underwent significant changes. In 1655, Little Neck Cemetery was established near Bullocks Cove by the town of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, serving as a common burial ground for the early settlers of Wannamoisett, which now includes parts of East Providence and Barrington. [4]
Between 1872 and 1876, the Bullock Point Light was constructed on the western shores of the cove. It was badly damaged during the 1938 New England hurricane, and the keeper, Andrew Zuius, was transferred to the Palmer Island Light, after the demolition of the remnants of the light. [5]
Today, there are several homes on the cove, [6] and three marinas. [7] The unincorporated community of Riverside, a part of East Providence, sits on the northern shores of the cove. In addition, some parts of the East Bay Bike Path run near the shores of the cove. [8]
The cove is home to several crustaceans, fish, and other aquatic wildlife. For example, the Chesapeake blue crabs are the focus of monitoring programs to assess their populations and ecological impact. The crabs are important ecologically and commercially, and efforts are ongoing to understand their population dynamics and habitat requirements in the face of changing environmental conditions. [9]
Invasive species, particularly the Asian shore crab and the green crab, have significantly altered the local ecology. These crabs reproduce rapidly and compete with native species for resources. The Asian shore crab has become abundant, often outcompeting native crabs and affecting the local food web by preying on mussels and other small invertebrates. [10] [11]
The cove is also home to Black sea bass and other finfish that benefit from the abundance of prey such as the invasive crabs. The cove's sheltered waters provide a critical habitat for juvenile fish, offering protection and abundant food resources. [11]
Oysters, particularly the Eastern oyster, are another important species found in Bullock's Cove. Historically, the region was known for its prolific oyster beds, and efforts are ongoing to restore and manage these populations. The cove also supports populations of quahogs, soft-shelled clams, and surf clams. [12] Riverside residents were known for harvesting clams, quahogs, and oysters, from the beaches of Bullock Cove and the surrounding areas, and they were known as "clam-diggers".
Rhode Island is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Island Sound; and shares a small maritime border with New York, east of Long Island. Rhode Island is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020; but it has grown at every decennial count since 1790 and is the second-most densely populated state, after New Jersey. The state takes its name from the eponymous island, though nearly all its land area is on the mainland. Providence is its capital and most populous city.
Barrington is a suburban, residential town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States, approximately 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Providence. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 17,153.
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound covering 147 square miles (380 km2), 120.5 square miles (312 km2) of which is in Rhode Island. The bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor and includes a small archipelago. Small parts of the bay extend into Massachusetts.
Aquidneck Island, officially known as Rhode Island, is an island in Narragansett Bay in the state of Rhode Island. The total land area is 37.8 sq mi (98 km2), which makes it the largest island in the bay. The 2020 United States Census reported its population as 60,109. The state of Rhode Island is named after the island; the United States Board on Geographic Names recognizes Rhode Island as the name for the island, although it is widely referred to as Aquidneck Island in the state and by the island's residents.
Riverside is a neighborhood in the city of East Providence in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Despite not being an incorporated city, Riverside has its own zip code, 02915, and is an acceptable mailing address according to the United States Postal Service. Riverside has a population of approximately 20,000 people.
The hard clam, also known as the round clam, hard-shellclam, or the quahog, is an edible marine bivalve mollusk that is native to the eastern shores of North America and Central America from Prince Edward Island to the Yucatán Peninsula. It is one of many unrelated edible bivalves that in the United States are frequently referred to simply as clams. Older literature sources may use the systematic name Venus mercenaria; this species is in the family Veneridae, the venus clams.
Carcinus maenas is a common littoral crab. It is known by different names around the world. In the British Isles, it is generally referred to as the shore crab, or green shore crab. In North America and South Africa, it bears the name European green crab.
Apponaug is a neighborhood in central Warwick, Rhode Island, United States, situated on Apponaug Cove, a tributary to Greenwich Bay and nearby Narragansett Bay. The name Apponaug is a derivation of the Narragansett Indian word for "place of oysters". Indeed, Apponaug Cove holds one of the richest shellfish beds in the United States and was densely populated by the Narragansett people for many centuries prior to the arrival of European settlers.
Clam cakes are a part of New England cuisine, most commonly found in Rhode Island although they can also be found in Connecticut, Maine, and Massachusetts. They are balls of battered clams which have been deep-fried. On the Maine Coast, clam cakes are formed into large, flat patties and fried.
The Seekonk River is a tidal extension of the Providence River in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 5 km (3 mi). The name may be derived from an Algonquian word for skunk or for black goose. The river is home to the Brown University men's rowing team, India Point Park, Blackstone Park Conservation District, Crook Point Bascule Bridge, Narragansett Boat Club, Swan Point Cemetery, and the Bucklin Point waste-water treatment facility. The River is listed by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management as an impaired waterway.
Patience Island lies off the northwest coast of Prudence Island in the town of Portsmouth, Rhode Island. It has a land area of 0.33 sq mi, making it the fourth-largest island in Narragansett Bay. Aside from a single 600-square foot house, which is disconnected from the state electrical grid, Patience Island is otherwise uninhabited.
The Kickemuit River is a river in the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island flowing approximately 7.9 miles (12.7 km).
Fox Point is a neighborhood in the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bounded by the Providence and Seekonk rivers, Interstate 195 and the College Hill and Wayland neighborhoods. Fox Point is the southernmost neighborhood in the East Side area of Providence.
The East Side is a collection of neighborhoods in the eastern part of the city of Providence, Rhode Island. It officially comprises the neighborhoods of Blackstone, Hope, Mount Hope, College Hill, Wayland, and Fox Point.
The Warren River, historically called the Sowams River, is a tidal extension of the Palmer River in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 6.5 km (4 mi). There are no dams along the river's length.
Chepiwanoxet is a neighborhood in Warwick, Rhode Island, with an island peninsula in Greenwich Bay, an arm of Narragansett Bay. The neighborhood straddles the Amtrak railroad lines, which lies just east of and parallel to the Post Road. Its boundaries are Neptune Street to the North, Alger Avenue to the South, Post Road to the West, and Greenwich Bay to the East. Chepiwanoxet Way, an underpass beneath the Amtrak lines, now serves as the only street access in and out of the neighborhood.
Starvegoat Island was a small island in the Providence River, Providence, Rhode Island. The island also appears as "Sunshine Island" on the 1927 North American datum map produced by the US Army Corps of Engineers 30th Battalion. The island was the southeasternmost point in the city of Providence. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was known for its oystering. It was located off the coast of Fields Point until the passage between them was filled in during the 1950s and 1960s when the area was used as a land fill. The approximate location of the island is now an educational center for Save the Bay, and one of its features is the re-creation of a natural coastal buffer zone.
Michael Alan Rice, is an American professor of fisheries and aquaculture at the University of Rhode Island and former state representative from South Kingstown, Rhode Island. A Democrat, he served in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, representing the 35th district, encompassing the village of Kingston and West Kingston, and parts of the neighborhoods of Tuckertown, Wakefield and Peace Dale. Rice was first elected on November 4, 2008, and served from January 3, 2009, to January 3, 2011.
Crescent Park was an amusement park in Riverside, East Providence, Rhode Island which ran from 1886 to 1979. The park was known for its Rhode Island Shore Dinners, the Alhambra Ballroom, and its midway.
The Blackstone Park Conservation District is a public, 45-acre woodland conservation area on the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island. It is run by the non-profit Blackstone Parks Conservancy in partnership with the Providence Parks Department. The park is situated on the west bank of the tidal Seekonk River, the northernmost part of Narragansett Bay tidewater. The park lies within the watershed and wildlife corridor of the Blackstone River Valley. Unlike many city parks, it is actively managed as a preserve for the purpose of providing habitats for wildlife and supporting a healthy ecosystem for native flora and fauna.