Sakonnet River

The Sakonnet River is a tidal strait in the state of Rhode Island which flows approximately 14 miles (23 km) between Mount Hope Bay and Rhode Island Sound. It separates Aquidneck Island from the eastern portion of Newport County.^[1]

Sakonnet River
View of Sakonnet River looking north from Tiverton
Location
Country	United States
State	Rhode Island
County	Newport County
Towns	Tiverton, Little Compton, Portsmouth, Middletown, Newport
Physical characteristics
Source	Mount Hope Bay
Mouth	Rhode Island Sound
Length	14 mi (22.5 km)
Width
• minimum	0.3 mi (0.5 km)
• average	0.7 mi (1.3 km)
• maximum	2 mi (3.2 km)
Depth
• average	20 ft (6.1 m)
Basin features
Waterbodies	Almy Creek, Little Brook, Quaket River, Sapowet Creek
Bridges	Sakonnet River Bridge, Sakonnet River Rail Bridge (demolished), Stone Bridge (demolished)
Inland ports	Sakonnet Harbor

Etymology

"Sakonnet" is derived from the Sakonnet people, related to the Wampanoag people who spoke a dialect of the Massachusett language, that inhabited the surrounding area. The name has been interpreted in a variety of ways including "where the water pours forth".^[2]

Crossings

Below is a list of all current and former crossings over the Sakonnet River. The list begins at the headwaters and goes downstream.

• Sakonnet River Rail Bridge (formerly Old Colony and Newport Railway), removed
• Old Sakonnet River Bridge (RI 24/138)
• Replacement Sakonnet River Bridge; opened September 2012.
• Stone Bridge (formerly RI 138, destroyed by Hurricane Carol in 1954)

Tributaries

• Almy Creek
• Little Creek (Rhode Island) [ceb; wikidata]
• Quaket River
  • Sin and Flesh Brook
• Sapowet Creek [ceb; wikidata]