Biological Survey — Erie-Xiagara Watershed 191 



shallow water ranging in depth from one to four meters where it 

 formed the dominant plant over extensive areas. Among the pond- 

 weeds, Potamogeton Richardsonii and P. pectinatus were very com- 

 mon, especially at a depth of 2-3 meters. Potamogeton angusti- 

 folius, P. gramineus, P. pusillus, P. huplueroides, and P. com- 

 pressus were less frequent, in the order named. Najas flexilis was 

 found growing profusely in shallow water even near the outlets of 

 sewers where there was much pollution from the sewage. Elodea 

 cayiadeyisis, Zmmichellia paliistris, Heteranthera duhia, Ceratophyl- 

 lum demersum and Nitella sp. were observed among the pondweeds 

 in several places. A number of dredgings were made in deeper 

 water but no vegetation was found below the five meter depth. 

 Chara was found in quite extensive areas in water from 2-5 meters 

 deep toward the northeast side of the harbor. Potamogeton grami- 

 neus var. graminifolius was often associated with Chara. Along 

 the marshy shore of the east side of the harbor, a narrow zone was 

 occupied by emersed plants consisting chiefly of Sagittaria hetero- 

 phijlla, ^. latifoUa, Scirpus acutus, S. americanus, and a few cat- 

 tails, Typha latifolia. 



Buffalo Harbor. — Along the eastern end of Lake Erie con- 

 siderable areas of weed beds were found between the shore and the 

 outer breakwaters of Buffalo harbor. These breakwaters protect 

 most of the shore line between the head of the Niagara river on 

 the north and the city of Lackawanna on the south. However, the 

 extensive alterations of the shore line and bottom required for 

 maintaining channels for ships entering the harbor, the numerous 

 docks, the canal, the inner harbor, and the filling in by refuse of 

 various kinds, rather limit the important areas of aquatic plants 

 to the lake shore from the mouth of Buffalo creek to the south 

 for about two miles and to smaller areas in the shallow water just 

 inside of the breakwaters. The deeper channels and the area 

 around Lackawanna contained no rooted aquatics. 



Vegetation in Buffalo Harbor. — While the weed beds in the 

 harbor were rather extensive and prolific, the number of species 

 was very small. yaUisneria spiralis, which sometimes covered 

 areas of several acres to the exclusion of everything else, was the 

 most abundant species. Among the pondweeds, Potamogeton 

 Richardsonii^ P. gramineus var. graminifolius and P. pectinatus 

 were the dominant species. The first two species frequently formed 

 the bulk of the vegetation in the two to four meter depth. In the 

 shallow water, especially to the south of the mouth of Buffalo 

 creek, extensive beds of Chara sp. covered the bottom. Pota- 

 mogeton filiformis and the dwarf compact form of Najas flexilis 

 flourished in shallow water near the shore where the bottom was 

 sandy. Elodea canadensis, Heteranthera duhia and Najas flexilis 

 frequently formed a dense growth over the bottom among the 

 larger pondweeds. 



