The national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing $201,876 in federal funding to the state of rhode island through the national estuarine research reserve system (nerrs) land…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded $201,876 in federal funding to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) on October 1, 2025, under the Coastal Zone Management Estuarine Research Reserves program (CFDA 11.420). This Project Grant will support the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NBNERRS) in conducting a comprehensive assessment and alternatives analysis of the T-Wharf facility, a critical infrastructure asset located less than 0.8 miles from NBNERRS headquarters. The project will deliver four primary services: procurement of professional assessment and alternatives analysis services, creation of a project advisory group, structural assessment of the Navy Pier, and conceptual design of the preferred alternative. The assessment will address the condition and improvement needs of T-Wharf, which currently houses monitoring and telemetry equipment integral to NBNERRS's System Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP) and serves as a hub for visitor amenities, educational programs, research activities, and access to significant eelgrass beds comprising some of the largest continuous submerged aquatic vegetation habitat in Narragansett Bay.

The project period extends from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027, with total dollars obligated of $246,876. The deliverables will establish a foundation for future infrastructure improvements while preserving the facility's essential functions supporting research, education, and habitat conservation within the estuary. The assessment and planning process will inform strategic recommendations for maintaining and enhancing T-Wharf's capacity to support NBNERRS monitoring programs and public engagement initiatives.

The national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing $201,876 in federal funding to the state of rhode island through the national estuarine research reserve system (nerrs) land acquisition and construction program for fiscal year 2025 (NOAA-NOS-OCM-2025-29258). This funding will build the ability of the narragansett BAY national estuarine research reserve within the rhode island department of environmental management to assess the condition and alternatives for improvement of the navy pier at the southern end of the island known locally as t-wharf. T-wharf houses monitoring and telemetry equipment that is part of nbnerrs system wide monitoring program (swmp). The pier itself is less than 0.8 miles from nbnerrs headquarters and learning center. Adjacent to the pier, site amenities available to visitors include an education building with saltwater aquaria and a touch tank, a sandy beach, picnic tables and restroom facilities. The floating dock on the northwest side of the pier provides short-term visitor dockage for drop-off and pickup, and dockage for nbnerr vessels. The cobble beach on the southeast side of the pier provides shoreline access for nbnerr research and education programs such as seine netting and shore crab monitoring. The eelgrass beds on either side of the pier comprise one of the largest continuous beds of submerged aquatic vegetation in narragansett BAY and serve as important habitat for fish and wildlife species. The proposed goals for this project are: procurement of services for assessment and alternatives analysis; creation of a project advisory group; t-wharf structural assessment; alternatives analysis; and the conceptual design of preferred alternative.