The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) have announced a landmark collaborative study to examine the accumulation of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in stocked trout. This scientific initiative is being conducted in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Roger Williams University (RWU), and the Town of Portsmouth.
The study is scheduled to take place from May 4 through July 2 at Upper Melville Pond—also known as Thurston Gray Pond—in Portsmouth. To ensure the scientific integrity of the research and protect the controlled environment required for testing, Upper Melville Pond will be closed to all fishing during this window.
State officials deliberately scheduled the study to begin after the peak of the spring rush to ensure that the closure does not interfere with the highly anticipated opening day of trout season. While Upper Melville Pond remains restricted during the study period, Lower Melville Pond will remain open to the public. However, anglers should note that Lower Melville Pond will only be stocked for opening day and will not receive additional stockings for the remainder of the season.
The Melville Ponds have a complex industrial history, originally constructed by the U.S. Navy as drinking water reservoirs for Naval Station Newport. Their proximity to the former Melville Fuel Defense Support Point is of particular concern to environmental scientists, as the site was a location where PFAS-containing firefighting foams were frequently utilized. Preliminary sampling conducted by the DEM has already detected elevated levels of these “forever chemicals” within the water of both the Upper and Lower ponds.
This research was initially slated for earlier in the year, but the historic “Blizzard of ’26” created significant logistical hurdles, delaying the start of the field study until May. As the first study of its kind in Rhode Island, the project will provide critical data on how quickly PFAS chemicals migrate from water and sediment into the muscle tissue of stocked fish. The methodology involves DEM officials anesthetizing and fin-clipping the trout before their release. Working alongside RWU, teams will collect fish samples every two weeks, which will then be transported to EPA and RWU laboratories for rigorous molecular analysis.
The results, expected to be finalized next year, will play a vital role in shaping future public health advisories and environmental policies aimed at minimizing human exposure to PFAS. This essential research is being funded entirely by RIDOH and DEM, representing a significant scientific investment in the safety of Rhode Island’s inland fisheries at no cost to the Town of Portsmouth.
