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10/21/2022 Legislators join governor in marking 50 years of Clean Water Act
STATE HOUSE — Warwick state legislators joined Gov. Dan McKee yesterday as he signed a gubernatorial proclamation proclaiming Oct. 20 as Clean Water Act Day statewide. He was joined by U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, Senate Majority Leader Michael J. McCaffrey (D-Dist. 29, Warwick), Rep. Joseph M. McNamara (D-Dist. 19, Warwick, Cranston), and Rep. David A. Bennett (D-Dist. 20, Warwick, Cranston).

The officials aided staff of the Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Fish and Wildlife in stocking rainbow trout in the Pawtuxet River in Warwick. The event highlighted the importance of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), which was enacted 50 years ago this week and jolted all 50 states into regulating pollution and cleaning water bodies.

The Clean Water Act of 1972, which is a foundational environmental protection law, was aimed at preventing, reducing, and eliminating pollution in our nation’s waterways and restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of U.S. waterbodies. Before the CWA’s enactment, bays, rivers, and streams throughout the United States and Rhode Island were choked with pollution, toxic to fish and other wildlife, hazardous to human health, and not fit for recreation. Through the efforts by the CWA, once severely-polluted waterways within Rhode Island have turned into cleaner waters that today support healthy ecosystems, public recreation, and tourism.

DEM stocks thousands of trout into Rhode Island ponds and streams throughout the freshwater fishing season. As part of a larger network of recreational opportunities in the state, fishing plays an important role in connecting people with nature, promoting health, attracting tourism, and supporting a treasured tradition for families.

For more information on DEM programs and initiatives, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow DEM on Facebook, Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem) for timely updates.



For more information, contact:
Daniel Trafford, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-1922