204 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 
a mile wide, and is an open body of water, unobstructed by islands or 
other land formation unti! it reaches Fields Point, 14 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 reaches well up into this narrower section of the river. The 
southern layings of this area, the Nayatt oyster beds, are located south 
of Town Beach, well over toward Rumstick Neck, in the broader portion 
of the river, and from this region extend in a westerly direction around 
Nayatt Point, then, following the eastern shore, in a northerly direction 
to within 54 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 the 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 
by the tides. (See map.) 
Still another bed, of some 800 acres’ extent, is located on the western 
side of the river, 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 boundary of the ship channel. 
It is about 7 miles distant from the city of Providence. The list of 
oyster 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, 
directly off Sabins Point. As may be seen by reference to the map, 
this bed 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 
oysters were made in and about the entrance of this stream. Near 
the mouth, they were confined to the shoal water on either side of the 
channel, but a short distance above this section they occupied both 
channel 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 five remaining oyster beds located in Rhode Island waters are 
found in or near Mount Hope Bay. The first of these is planted on a 
shoal directly south of Hog Island, which is less than a mile from the 
entrance of the bay; 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 Warren 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 bay, 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 bay are also scoured by very strong tidal currents, due 
to causes already explained. 
