Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Wood-Pawcatuck Wa-
tershed Protection Act’’. 
SEC. 
2. 
BEAVER, 
CHIPUXET, 
QUEEN, 
WOOD, 
AND 
PAWCATUCK RIVERS STUDY. 
(a) DESIGNATION FOR STUDY.—Section 5(a) of the 
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(a)) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(l) BEAVER, CHIPUXET, QUEEN, WOOD, AND 
PAWCATUCK
RIVERS, RHODE
ISLAND
AND
CON-
NECTICUT.—The approximately 10-mile segment of 
the Beaver River from its headwaters in Exeter, 
Rhode Island, to its confluence with the Pawcatuck 
River; the approximately 5-mile segment of the 
Chipuxet River from Hundred Acre Pond to its out-
let into Worden Pond; the approximately 10-mile 
segment of the upper Queen River from its head-
waters to the Usquepaugh Dam in South Kingstown, 
Rhode Island, and including all its tributaries; the 
approximately 5-mile segment of the lower Queen 
(Usquepaugh) River from the Usquepaugh Dam to 
its confluence with the Pawcatuck River; the ap-
proximately 11-mile segment of the upper Wood
River from its headwaters to Skunk Hill Road in 
Richmond and Hopkinton, Rhode Island, and includ-
ing all its tributaries; the approximately 10-mile seg-
ment of the lower Wood River from Skunk Hill 
Road to its confluence with the Pawcatuck River; 
the approximately 28-mile segment of the Pawcatuck 
River from Worden Pond to Nooseneck Hill Road 
(RI Rte 3) in Hopkinton and Westerly, Rhode Is-
land; and the approximately 7-mile segment of the 
lower Pawcatuck River from Nooseneck Hill Road to 
Pawcatuck Rock, Stonington, Connecticut, and 
Westerly, Rhode Island.’’. 
(b) STUDY AND REPORT.—Section 5(b) of the Wild 
and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(b)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(l) BEAVER, CHIPUXET, QUEEN, WOOD, AND 
PAWCATUCK
RIVERS, RHODE
ISLAND
AND
CON-
NECTICUT.—Not later than 3 years after the date on 
which funds are made available to carry out this 
paragraph, the Secretary of the Interior shall— 
‘‘(A) complete the study of the Beaver, 
Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers, 
Rhode Island and Connecticut, described in 
subsection (a)(l);
‘‘(B) submit a report describing the results 
of that study to the appropriate committees of 
Congress; 
‘‘(C) include in the report under subpara-
graph (B) the effect of the designation under 
this Act on— 
‘‘(i) existing commercial and rec-
reational activities, such as hunting, fish-
ing, trapping, recreational shooting, motor 
boat use, or bridge construction; 
‘‘(ii) the authorization, construction, 
operation, maintenance, or improvement of 
energy production and transmission infra-
structure; and 
‘‘(iii) the authority of State and local 
governments to manage those activities en-
compassed in clauses (i) and (ii); and 
‘‘(D) identify— 
‘‘(i) all authorities that will authorize 
or require the Secretary to influence local 
land use decisions (such as zoning) or 
place restrictions on non-Federal land if 
the area studied is designated under this 
Act;
‘‘(ii) all authorities that the Secretary 
may use to condemn property if the area 
studied is designated under this Act; and 
‘‘(iii) all private property located in 
the area studied under this provision.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives July 23, 2012. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3388 
AN ACT 
To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to des-
ignate a segment of the Beaver, Chipuxet, 
Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers in the 
States of Connecticut and Rhode Island for study 
for potential addition to the National Wild and 
Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes.