Study to Examine PFAS Impacts on Stocked Trout; Upper Melville Pond Will Close for Fishing

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) announce a collaborative study with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Roger Williams University (RWU), and the Town of Portsmouth to examine Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) accumulation in stocked trout.

The study will be conducted from May 4 through July 2 at the Upper Melville Pond (also known as Thurston Gray Pond) in Portsmouth. To protect the integrity of the study, the pond will be closed to fishing during this timeframe. The timing of this study was chosen to prevent the fishing closure from impacting Opening Day of the trout fishing season. Lower Melville Pond will remain open to fishing during the study but will not be stocked.

Upper and Lower Melville Pond were originally built by the US Navy as drinking water reservoirs for Naval Station Newport. The ponds are located near the former Melville Fuel Defense Support Point, where PFAS-containing firefighting foam was used. Sampling performed by DEM detected elevated levels of PFAS in the Upper and Lower Melville Ponds. The study was originally planned to occur before the start of trout fishing season, but the historic Blizzard of '26 delayed when the study could begin.

The first study of its kind in Rhode Island, it will track how quickly PFAS accumulates in the tissue of stocked fish. DEM will anesthetize and fin-clip stocked fish, work with RWU to collect samples of stocked trout every two weeks and then transport them to RWU and EPA labs for testing. Water and sediment samples will also be collected for PFAS analysis.

Results of this study are expected to be finalized next year and will help guide efforts to minimize PFAS exposure. This study is being conducted at no cost to the Town of Portsmouth. Funding is being provided by RIDOH and DEM.