Name That Stream

In 2009 the U.S. Board on Geographical Names approved the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council’s proposal to name eight previously unnamed streams in Providence County. They include 5 streams in Smithfield, a stream and swamp in North Smithfield and a stream in Providence, all of which ultimately feed into the Woonasquatucket River.

The list of newly-named streams includes Airport Creek, Gould Brook, Hanton Brook, Sprague Brook and Whipple Brook, all in Smithfield; Mattetee Swamp Brook and Mattetokomitt Swamp, both in North Smithfield; and Pleasant Valley Stream in Providence.

Eugenia Marks, Senior Director of Policy at Audubon and Board member (retired) of the WRWC, spearheaded the project, with other volunteers whose work included interviewing community members, engaging local officials, filing the necessary documentation for the approval process, researching the history of the area, as well as noting habitat features, which were important for naming the streams.

The support of the community for embracing the official names of the streams and helping to protect our streams and waterways is important to the preservation efforts for the Woonasquatucket River.

The stream names are now featured in the Geographic Names Information System, the nation’s official geographic names repository.

Download the map as a PDF (for printing on letter size paper)
Download the map as a PDF (for printing on 11×17 paper)