A group of paddlers will inaugurate Roger Williams Paddle Trail, led by the Blueways Alliance of Rhode Island with support from the National Parks Service and the Ten Mile River Watershed Council. There will be additional support from the East Providence Historical Society and the Roger Williams Family Association. The inaugural paddle of an urban and historic Blueway, or water trail, in downtown Providence includes segments on five different urban rivers including the Ten Mile River, Seekonk, the Providence River, the Woonasquatucket River and the Moshassuck Rivers. The event will take place on Saturday, July 19, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. beginning at the Freedom Green located at the intersection of Roger Williams Avenue and North Broadway in East Providence. The paddle will finish at Roger Williams National Memorial at 282 North Main Street, Providence. This event will create a historic Blueway for paddle boats (canoes and kayaks) that links the historic and interpretive elements of the story of Roger Williams and the founding of Providence.

The Rhode Island Blueways Alliance began in 2006 when the Rhode Island Rivers Council and the National Park Service Rivers & Trails program brought together diverse interests from throughout the state to discuss and plan a comprehensive water trail network. The trails would link Rhode Island's rivers, lakes and ponds to Narragansett Bay and be used to promote safety, conservation, recreation and economic development. The Rhode Island Blueways Alliance incorporated in the state of Rhode Island as a non-profit corporation in late 2007 and now manages the Blueways project and www.exploreri.org.