The name narragansett is made up from two words; Algonquain word ‘ naiaganset meaning-people of small point of land. The narragansett bay is located on the north part of Rhode Island. The bay makes up New England’s largest water body, and some part of it extends to Massachusetts.
In narragansett bay, there are over 30 Islands on the bay. The three largest Islands are Aquidneck Island, Conanicut Island, and Prudence Island.
The Europeans first visited the bay in the early 16th century. It was known that there were two Indian tribes living on the bay. The narragansett lived on the west part, and the wampanoags lived on the east side of the bay.
Narragansett Bay Facts for Kids
Listed below are many interesting and knowledgeable facts about narragansett bay that is located on Rhode Island.
- The narragansett bay is 25 mile long and 10 mile wide. The bay has an average temperature of 67-69 degree Fahrenheit in the summer period, and 31-33 degree Fahrenheit in the winter period.
- The narragansett covers an area of 147 square miles. It has a volume of over 706 billion gallons. It has a mean depth of 26 feet, and the deepest point of the bay is 184 feet.
- The side of the bay is 256 mile long. There are several birds that visits the bay like piping plover, raptors, osprey, and bald eagle. During the spring and fall, several travelling birds spend time on the side of the water.
- 40% of the narragansett watershed is in Rhode Island, and 60% of the watershed is in Massachusetts.
- The daily flow of water into the narragansett bay from all source around the world is about 2.4 gallons, with just about 2.1 gallons coming from rivers.
- The major sources of water from rivers into the narragansett bay are Taunton river, Blackstone river, and Pawtuxet river.
- It is known that over 12 million people visit narragansett bay yearly majorly as tourist.
- The fishes that are mostly sold from the narragansett bay are winter flounder, summer flounder, tautog, bluefish, scup, lobster, weakfish, alewife, Atlantic herring, black sea bass, cod and menhaden.
- There are several visitors to the narragansett bay like harp seals, gray seals, harbor seals, harbor porpoised, and dolphins. They all visit seasonally
- There are over hundred known species of fishes that visits the narragansett bay at different times.
- The narragansett bay is always polluted mostly after heavy rainfall, that is why people have been told to not to touch the water for the first three days after the rainfall.
- In the year 2011, the narragansett bay is known as one of the most contaminated bay in the whole of the United States. There is inadequate treatment of the water body, and several sewage, and toxic chemicals dumped into the water mostly after heavy storm.
Written below are few questions and answers you should know about the narragansett bay
Question: What is the surface area of narragansett bay?
Answer: 147 square mile
Question: What are the largest water sources to the narragansett bay?
Answer: Taunton river, Blackstone river, and Pawtuxet river.
Question: How many Islands are on the narragansett bay? And what are the three largest?
Answer: 30 Islands. Prudence Island, Conanicut Island, and Aquidneck Island.
Question: What are the type of fishes that can be caught in the narragansett bay?
Answer: summer flounder, black sea bass, tautog, bluefish, scup, striped bass, weakfish, alewife, atlantic herring, and menhaden.
Question: What are the types of bird that often fly around the bay?
Answer: piping plover, raptors, osprey, bald eagle etc.
Question: Where is narragansett bay located?
Answer: Rhode Island