The Pawtuxet River Authority, doing business as the Pawtuxet River Authority & Watershed Council, is a quasi public agency and non-profit public benefit corporation created by the RI state legislature in 1972 in the RI General Laws at 46-24. The PRAWC has also been recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) public charitable organization. The authority is expressly authorized to provide for land and water conservation and for the construction and maintenance of hiking and biking trails, flood control and water pollution control facilities, preservation of wetlands, dam construction, diversion of streams, dikes, walls, and pumping stations.

The Authority is governed by a 15 member board made up of three representatives from each of the municipalities of Scituate, Coventry, Cranston, West Warwick and Warwick.

We are continually striving to improve the water and land quality of the entire Pawtuxet River system and render its’ waters fishable and swimmable.

Our mission is “To Protect and Improve the Pawtuxet River and It’s Watershed."

The PRAWC sponsors many fun and social river cleanups and river festivals. We hold monthly public meetings where we discuss ongoing projects, future plans, and current events that effect the river and watershed. We especially count on the generous support of volunteers in order to make an effective difference.

Get involved. Join our mailing list and recieve the latest information and reminders on all our upcoming events.

The PRAWC has collaborated with and continues to encourage partnership with many groups to establish local and national greenway development. Some of these groups and projects the PRAWC has influenced, participated in or endorsed are the Hope Spur Trail Project, renovation of the West Warwick Roch Riverwalk, projects of Friends of the Pawtuxet, the West Warwick Riverwalk and the bikepath and trail projects promoted by the East Coast Greenway Alliance.