In the three HUC12 subwatersheds in the Southwest Coastal Ponds watershed, Saugatucket River had 36 percent relative abundance for both cold-coolwater fish and fluvial fish, primarily due to brook trout and tessellated darter, and Ninigret Pond-Front Block Island Sound had 19 percent cold-coolwater fish and 14 percent fluvial fish, primarily due to brook trout (Table 6). No fish data were recorded for the Point Judith Pond-Frontal Block Island Sound subwatershed.
Table 6. Average of percent relative abundance for cold-coolwater fish and fluvial fish in subwatersheds of the Southwest Coastal Ponds watershed. SD = standard deviation.
Overall, 27.4 percent of the area within the Southwest Coastal Ponds watershed could potentially provide habitat for brook trout, ranging from 13 percent to 40 percent within the HUC12 subwatersheds (Table 7 and Figure 5).
Table 7. Predicted or potential brook trout habitat in the Southwest Coastal Ponds watershed. Sorted by highest to lowest percent of brook trout habitat.