204 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OP FISHERIES. 



a mile wide, and i,s an open bod}^ of water, unobstructed ))y islands or 

 other land formation until it reaches Fields Point, If miles below 

 Providence, where the sewage of the city is discharged into the river. 

 Thus the second of these large areas lying on the eastern side of the 

 channel readies well up into this narrower section of the river. The 

 southern la3angs of this area, the Nayatt oyster beds, are located south 

 of Town Beach, well over toward Runjstick*Neck, in the broader portion 

 of the river, and from this region extend in a westerly direction around 

 Na3'att Point, then, following the eastern shore, in a northerly direction 

 to within 5^ miles of the city. The northern section of the area is 

 spoken of as the Bullock Neck oyster beds. While the southern sec- 

 tions lie in tlie more open water of the lower river, the northern limits 

 are well up in the more confined waters of the upper river, therefore 

 in the direct path of any contamination that may be borne downstream 

 ))y the tides. (See map.) 



Still another bed, of some 300 acres' extent, is located on the western 

 side of the I'iver, directly north of Conimicut Point, occupying a long 

 narrow strip of land that extends from near the low tide limit to 

 Conimicut Light, which marks the western boundaiy of the ship channel. 

 It is about 7 miles distant from the city of Providence. The list of 

 03'ster grounds in the Providence River is completed with the description 

 of a bed of about 125 acres, located on the eastern side of the river, 

 direct!}^ oft' Sabins Point. As may be seen by reference to the map, 

 this ))ed is but 3 miles below the city limits. 



Before leaving the neighborhood of the river, however, the beds in 

 the Warren River must be mentioned. In 1900 extensive layings of 

 03\sters were made in and al)out the entrance of this stream. Near 

 the mouth, they wei'e coniined to the shoal water on either side of the 

 channel, but a short distance above this section they occupied both 

 cliaiuiel and shoal water, so that the bottom of the river was a continu- 

 ous oyster bed from near its junction with the Providence River to the 

 town of Warren, 2 miles inland. 



The tive remaining o}"ster beds located in Rhode Island waters are 

 found in or near Mount Hope Ba}". The tirst of these is planted on a 

 shoal directly south of Hog Island, which is less than a mile from the 

 entrance of the ba}^; the second is a much smaller area off Bristol 

 Ferry, in the narrow entrance to the bay; the third and largest area 

 lies to the east of Bristol Ferry, off Common Fence Point; the fourth, 

 3 miles distant from the last-mentioned bed, in the northwestern cor- 

 ner of the bay, south of W^arren Neck; and the fifth, around Warren 

 Neck, in the Kickemuit River. The beds off Warren Neck are 4 miles 

 from the city of Fall River; those at the entrance of the ba\", 7 miles. 

 Thus it may be noted that these grounds are situated at a considerable 

 distance from the discharge of the Fall River sewer. The beds in the 

 entrance of the Ijay are also scoured bv ver^^ strong tidal currents, due 

 to causes -already explained. 



