DEM: Sheen on the Barrington River was pollen

Officials check with wastewater treatment plan

Posted 3/28/23

Officials from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management believe a sheen spotted on the Barrington River and in Hundred Acre Cove was likely pollen and naturally occurring bubbles. 

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DEM: Sheen on the Barrington River was pollen

Officials check with wastewater treatment plan

Posted

Officials from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management believe a sheen spotted on the Barrington River and in Hundred Acre Cove was likely pollen and naturally occurring bubbles. 

On Tuesday, March 21, Barrington Police called DEM after receiving reports of a trail of debris on the river and in the cove. 

DEM responded and deployed a drone to conduct an aerial survey. According to DEM Chief Public Affairs Officer Michael Healey, the initial search did not find evidence of trash or debris. 

“At 9:24 a.m., our Division of Law Enforcement dispatcher spoke with the superintendent of the Warren wastewater treatment facility who happened to be at the effluent end of the plant at the time of the call,” Healey said. “He said the effluent looked ‘clear’ and all operations at the plant were normal. Our inspectors consulted with scientists from the DEM Office of Water Resources, which sent a shellfish monitoring crew out in a boat a little south of this area and they indicated that they didn’t see anything unusual. We cleared the site at 11:35 a.m.”

Healey said DEM officials believe the sheen consisted of pollen flecked with naturally occurring bubbles that were formed at a turbulent windy offshore site. He said the effluent then came into the river and cove with the tide. 

“We had a very mild winter and are having an early spring,” Healey said. 

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.