The Blackstone River begins in Worcester, Massachusetts and flows approximately 48 miles
southeast, meeting with the tidal Seekonk River before flowing into Narragansett Bay.
A total of 39 municipalities, ranging from highly urbanized to undeveloped areas, in
Massachusetts and Rhode Island are located at least partially within the
Blackstone
River Watershed. The Blackstone River is the largest tributary of Narragansett Bay,
draining a watershed of 475 square miles. Major tributaries to the Blackstone include
the Branch, Kettle Brook, Quinsigamond, West, Mumford, Mill, and Peters Rivers.
The Blackstone River Valley is known as the “Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution”
and was a major component of the American Industrial Revolution. Industrial modification of
the river began in the late 1600s and by the 1830s there was one dam for every mile of river.
By the end of the 19th century, much of the river and many of its tributaries were impacted
by dams or were channelized for transportation, urban development, and flood control.
