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JOURNAL OF 
THE NEW ENGLAND BOTANICAL CLUB 
November, 1915. No. 203. 
Vol 17. 
FLORAL CHANGES IN A SALT MARSH DURING 
RECLAMATION. 
WALTER DEANE. 
In 1908 a dam was constructed across Charles River near its mouth 
between Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. The object was to 
raise the water in the Basin above to a permanent level for civic 
improvement. The exclusion of salt water and tidal action, which 
followed this work, at once began to bring about the inevitable 
changes in the flora of the salt marshes along the banks of the river 
that. had been within reach of the tides. For several years I have 
been much interested in studying these changes in a certain piece of 
marsh in Cambridge not far from my home. 
I have collected specimens of every species of plant not including 
the lower cryptogams that I could find on many visits to the given 
area, and I feel confident that little, if anything, has escaped me. 
Of course a collection of this sort can never be complete, as addi- 
tional species will doubtless come in every season, as long as the 
marsh is undisturbed. As the given area is under the control of the 
Metropolitan Park Commission, the land may be developed at any 
time, and it seems best to record now the result of my observations. 
Before the building of the dam in question the tidal limits of Charles 
River were at a dam in Watertown, about eight miles above the new 
one. which is near the mouth of the river. Until the change was 
made the section of marsh under consideration was subjected to 
the usual tidal action. It was covered at the regular seasons by the 
high tides, and its surface was cut by innumerable ditches dug in the 
early days to drain the marsh. Except for the changes resulting 
