Shifting Sand: Barrier Spit Migration and Science Based Management: The Napatree Point Conservation Area
Fri, Oct 02
|1 Bay St, Westerly, RI 02891, USA
Full Day Trip
Time & Location
Oct 02, 2026, 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM
1 Bay St, Westerly, RI 02891, USA
Details
Leaders: Bryan Oakley (Eastern Connecticut State University), Daniel Cole, Peter August and Alan Desbonnet (Watch Hill Conservancy)
Overview:
The Napatree Point Conservation Area in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, is an 86-acre welded barrier spit that partially encloses the Little Narragansett Bay estuary. This protected area contains some of Rhode Island’s most uncommon habitats and has been recognized by the Audubon Society as a globally significant bird area. Napatree is owned and jointly managed by the Watch Hill Fire District and the Watch Hill Conservancy and remains open to the public throughout the year.
The barrier spit serves as an outstanding example of landform migration through overwash processes and washover fan deposition, having shifted more than 75 m northward since 1938. As an undeveloped coastal barrier, it also demonstrates the resilience of these natural systems in recovering from major storm events. Participants will examine topics including barrier migration and overwash, bluff…