The RI Rivers Council was created by statute (R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 46-28) to coordinate, oversee, and review efforts to improve and preserve the quality of the state's rivers and other water bodies and to develop plans to increase river use. The General Assembly created the Council because "state jurisdiction over rivers, environmentally, culturally and economically, is scattered among state agencies and in some instances, state policies and plans [concerning rivers] are conflicting." The Council is charged with coordinating state policies to protect rivers and watersheds and strengthening local watershed councils as partners in river and watershed protection. The Rivers Council is an associated function of the Rhode Island Water Resources Board.
