Bucklin Brook is a brook in Pawtucket,

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It 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 i ...

. It is 3 miles long and was at one time the source of drinking water for the city from a reservoir that was located at present day

McCoy Stadium McCoy Stadium is a former baseball stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1970 through 2020, it served as home field of the Pawtucket Red Sox (PawSox), a Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Completed in 1942, the stadium firs ...

. The upper portion of the stream up to the stadium was buried in the 1930s to make room for development. The lower portion from the stadium to its mouth was buried in the 1960s because of an outbreak of

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe sym ...

. The brook still flows under the city.

Course

The brook begins behind the

Stop & Shop The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, known as Stop & Shop, is a regional chain of supermarkets located in the northeastern United States. From its beginnings in 1892 as a small grocery store, it has grown to include 406 stores chain-wide. Sto ...

on Cottage Street from a small wetland that is still above ground. From there it flows south through culverts through Oak Grove and Walnut Hill Cemeteries. It continues past the stadium and Dunnell Park near Prospect Heights, where the remains of an old bridge crossing are still visible. The stream comes out of the culvert and flows above ground for a short distance behind an industrial area on Beverage Hill Ave, before entering the

Seekonk River The Seekonk River is a tidal extension of the Providence River in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 8 km (5 mi). The name may be derived from an Algonquian word for skunk, or for black goose. The river is home ...

near Bishop's Bend. Unfortunately, the brook is in an abused area when it is above ground, with very poor access.

Revitalization

In March 2020, it was announced that Friends of the Ten Mile, a nonprofit organization which worked along the nearby Ten Mile River, had adopted Bucklin Brook and become Friends of the Ten Mile and Bucklin Brook. Their mission is to clean and preserve the Ten Mile River and Bucklin Brook Watersheds. They are working to revitalize the brook.

References

*Pawtucket public Library *Bucklin Foundation *Maps from the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

*Friends of the Ten Mile and Bucklin Broo

*EcoRI Environmental News {{authority control Rivers of Rhode Island Pawtucket, Rhode Island Subterranean rivers of the United States Rivers of Providence County, Rhode Island