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Providence and Danielson railbed near Scituate Reservoir, December 2023.JPG
Pi.1415926535 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Lakes → Rhode Island → Scituate Reservoir

Scituate Reservoir

Rhode Island · Reservoir impounded 1926 · near Scituate

3,600 acres 88 ft deep 25 ft clarity Water B
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5.6SCORE
Survey summary · Rhode Island
3,600
Surface acres
88 ft
Max depth
38 mi
Shoreline
25 ft
Typical clarity
284 ft
Elevation
Providence and Danielson railbed near Scituate Reservoir, December 2023.JPG Scituate watershed.gif

Photographs of Scituate Reservoir via Wikimedia Commons. Credit and licence on each image — hover to view, click through to the source.

Scituate Reservoir covers 3,600 acres in Rhode Island and drops to 88 feet at its deepest point. It is a reservoir impounded in 1926 and managed by Providence Water. Water clarity averages around 25 feet, placing it among the clearer bodies of water in the country. Short-term rental posture: Prohibited. Confirm at the municipal level before underwriting rental income.

What stands out

  • Exceptional clarity, roughly 25 ft
  • Watershed
  • no recreation

Watch outs

  • Short-term rental rules are restrictive — do not assume rental income

Score breakdown

WATER RECREATION VALUE ACCESS INVESTMENT
Water 8.4
Recreation 4.7
Value 3.5
Access 6.1
Investment 4.6

Each axis is computed by published formula from this lake's own attributes. How we score.

Water quality grade
Water A
ExcellentClear, low-nutrient water. Typically oligotrophic with high clarity and little seasonal algae.
Water B
GoodHealthy water with moderate clarity. Some seasonal variation, no persistent problems.
Water C
FairProductive water — good fishing, reduced clarity. Algae possible in late summer.
Water D
PoorNutrient-rich or heavily drawn down. Swimmable conditions vary; check before you rely on them.

Computed from measured clarity, trophic state, and drawdown magnitude — not an opinion. See the formula.

Overall score, 1–10
8.0+
ExceptionalStrong on every axis we measure.
7.0–7.9
StrongClearly above average, usually with one standout axis.
6.0–6.9
SolidA good lake with a trade-off worth understanding.
5.0–5.9
MixedReal strengths and real compromises.
Under 5
CompromisedSomething material — volatility, water quality, or access.

Weighted: water 26% · recreation 22% · investment 20% · value 18% · access 14%.

Fishery

Watershed protected

On the water

Watershed no recreation
No USGS gauge on this lake. Water level and clarity figures below come from published lake management data rather than a live sensor.

What the drawdown looks like

Full pool vs autumn low · Scituate Reservoir
8 ft FULL POOL AUTUMN LOW

The dock sits at full-pool elevation. At low pool the waterline retreats and the reach to navigable water changes. Scale is illustrative; the 8 ft figure is from published operations for this lake.

Where it is

True shoreline from USGS NHD 9 km²

The outline is this lake's actual boundary from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset, not an approximation — 360 boundary points. Basemap is USGS topographic with contours and hydrography. Switch layers at the top right.

Depth profile

SURFACE 88 ft max avg 28 ft

Idealized cross-section. Max depth 88 ft, average 28 ft. Depth at a specific dock depends on local bathymetry — verify at the property.

Level behaviour

Level stabilityManaged Typical drawdown8 ft Drawdown seasonAutumn Trophic stateOligotrophic Typical clarity25 ft Water quality gradeB Elevation284 ft Managing authorityProvidence Water

Dock & shoreline

Permitting authorityProvidence Water Wake / speed rulesNo public access
A dock is never guaranteed. Confirm in writing with Providence Water that the specific parcel is eligible before you remove contingencies.

Short-term rental posture

Prohibited

Do not underwrite rental income here.
Model rental income →
Modeled estimates. Market figures are derived from lake attributes and regional patterns, not from MLS data. Treat them as a starting point, not a comp.
$760,000
Median waterfront
$8,407
Per shoreline foot
+10.1%
Year over year
273
Est. inventory
153
Avg days on market
$641
Est. nightly rate

Rental snapshot

Modeled occupancy61% Booked nights / yr160 Gross revenue$112,025 Net operating income$56,201 Yield on median price7.39%
Open the full model →

What a median-priced home on Scituate Reservoir actually costs to carry, with waterfront-specific line items most calculators omit.

$6,194
All-in per month
$173,490
Cash to close + setup
$15,100
Beyond P&I, tax, insurance
Where the annual cost goes
$74,323 PER YEAR
Principal & interest $48,051 (66%) Maintenance reserve (1.1%) $8,360 (11%) Property taxes $7,980 (11%) Hazard insurance $3,192 (4%) Utilities $2,700 (4%) Shoreline / seawall reserve $960 (1%) Dock maintenance $900 (1%) Winterization / seasonal close $750 (1%)

Annual carry

Principal & interest$48,051
Property taxes$7,980
Hazard insurance$3,192
Flood insurance$650
Utilities$2,700
Maintenance reserve (1.1%)$8,360
Septic service$520
Well & water testing$260
Dock maintenance$900
Winterization / seasonal close$750
Shoreline / seawall reserve$960
Total$74,323
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