The Taunton River is perhaps the most diverse and intact coastal riverine ecosystem in all of southern New England. The Taunton River is the only major coastal river in the region that is without a dam or obstruction over its entire length. The river is formed at the confluence of the Matfield and Town Rivers in Bridgewater, MA and along with its extensive network of tributaries, drains an area of 562 square miles. It also is the largest freshwater contributor to the Narragansett Bay estuary in Rhode Island, part of the National Estuary Program. The Taunton River travels through ten communities and over 40 miles to Mount Hope Bay. It is tidal for 18 miles from the bay, with saltwater intrusion ending at about the Dighton-Taunton line, 12 miles from the mouth.
The landscape of the Taunton River watershed is the result of glacial deposition as shown in flat outwash plains, numerous wetlands and kettle ponds. Glacial Lake Taunton was created by the retreating glacier and eventually drained as the Taunton River. Clay deposits from this glacial lake have been used in modern times by the brick and clay industry. Numerous bogs and wetlands have also provided bog iron, important to early development and industry.
The river corridor’s mix of large woodland areas (largely devoid of nonnative species), vast tidal and non-tidal wetlands, and edge habitats related to nearly 2,000 acres of prime agricultural land provides rich habitat diversity for a wide range of species.