202 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIOISl ER OF FISHERIES. 



Warwick Neck and Prudence Island, and in several other localities. 

 A description of the bay would hardly be complete without mention 

 of these tidal currents, since a number sweep directly over some of the 

 oyster beds and Qurry with them whatever pollution ma}' have entered 

 the water. 



THE LOCATION OF THE LEASED OYSTER GROUND IN NARRAGANSETT BAY. 



In the first annual report of the Commissioners of Shell Fisheries 

 of Rhode Island it is stated that the income from the oyster ground 

 leased in the Providence River during the year 1864 amounted to $61. 

 In 1900 more than 3,000 acres of land in the Providence River and 

 Narragansett Bay w^ere devoted to this l)ranch of industry, yielding an 

 income of $25,000. The figures for the year 1903 show an increase of 

 2,000 acres in the total area leased in that year, with a rental increased 

 to nearly 115,000. 



The map on page 203 indicates the location of the leased oyster 

 ground for 1900-1901, since the larger part of the oysters examined 

 in this investigation were collected in the latter year. The areas occu- 

 pied by the beds are outlined in dotted lines. It will be observed 

 that the most extensive grounds are found in the Providence River 

 rather than in the deeper waters of Narragansett Ba}^— in fact, there 

 were but two oyster beds of any importance at this time in the bay 

 proper. One was located in Wickford Harboi-, 21 miles south of 

 Providence; the second, under the western shore of Prudence Island, 

 about 11 miles from the capital cit3^ The Wickford layings, not rep- 

 resented on the map, comprise some five or six acres of land planted 

 in 6 to 10 feet of water, in the direct path of a constantly flowing tidal 

 current. No sewage is discharged into this bod}' of water, so that the 

 beds are free from local contamination. As wall be seen by reference 

 to the map, the Prudence Island beds are located south of Pine Hill 

 Point, in a l)end of the land formed by the irregular coast line of the 

 island. .They occupy an area of some 300 acres. There is a hard sand 

 or gravel bottom in this locality, which is covered by from 10 to 15 

 feet of water at mean low tide. These beds are far removed from pollu- 

 tion of any sort, the nearest human habitation being at least 3 miles 

 distant from this region. 



As has already been stated, the most extensive oyster grounds are 

 located in the Providence River. These are two large areas, over 1,000 

 acres each in extent, which lie between Warwick Neck and Bullock 

 Neck. The first of these areas, known as the Rocky I*oint oyster beds, 

 lies on the western side of the ship channel, and extends from near 

 the southern shore of ^A'arwick Neck northward to the southern bound- 

 ary of Gonimicut Point, the northern limit of the beds approaching to 

 within 7f miles of Providence. These layings occupy a shoal that 

 makes out from the western shore of the river, and is covered by water 



