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CONNECTICUT no ^ |

Agricultural Experiment Station

NEW HAVEN, CONN.

BULLETIN 189, DECEMBER, 1915

A MOSQUITO SURVEY AT THE MOUTH OF THE
CONNECTICUT RIVER

Made under the Direction of W. E. Brixton, Ph.D.
State and Station Entomologist

BY

P. L. BuTTRiCK, Special Agent of the Station

The expense of making this Survey and of printing this report
was met by

The Old Saybrook Town Improvement Association

of Old Saybrook.

The Bulletins of this Station are mailed free to citizens of Con-
necticut who apply for them, and to others as far as the editions
permit.

CONNECTICUT AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION*

OFFICERS AND STAFF.

BOARD OF CONTROL

His Excellency, Marcus H. Holcomb, ex-officio, President.

Prof. H. W. Conn, Vice President Middletown

George A. Hopson, Secretary Wallingford

E. H. Jenkins, Director and Treasurer New Haven

Joseph W. Alsop Avon

Wilson H. Lee Orange

Frank H. Stadtmueller Elmwood

James H. Webb Hamden

1

Administration. E. H. Jenkins, Ph.D., Director and Treasurer.

Miss V. E. Cole, Librarian and Stenographer.

Miss L. M. Brautlecht, Bookkeeper and Stenographer.

William Veitch, In charge of Buildings and Grounds.
Chemistry.
Analytical Laboratory. John Phillips Street, M.S., Chemist in Charge.

E. Monroe Bailey, Ph.D., C. B. Morison, B.S.

C. E. Shepard, G. L. Davis, Assistants.

Hugo Lange, Laboratory Helper.

V. L. Churchill, Sampling Agent.

Miss E. B. Whittlesey, Stenographer.

Proteid Research.

T. B. Osborne, Ph.D., Chemist in Charge.
Miss E. L. Ferry,: M.S., Assistant.

Botany.

G. P. Clinton, Sc.D., Botanist.
E. M. Stoddard, B.S., Assistant Botanist.
Miss E. B. Whittlesey, Herbarium Assistant.
G. E. Graham, General Assistant.

Entomology.

W. E. Britton, Ph.D., Entomologist; State Entomologist.

B. PI. Walden, B.Agr., First Assistant.

Q. S. Lowry, B.Sc, I. W. Davis, B.Sc, |

M. P. Zappe, B.S.. i Assistants.

Miss G. A. Foote, B.A., Stenographer.

Forestry.

Walter O. Filley, Forester; also State Forester

and State Forest Fire JJ'arden.
A. E. Moss, M.F., Assistant Station Forester.
Miss E. L. Avery, Stenographer.

Plant Breeding

Donald F. Jones, B.S., Plant Breeder.
C. D. Hubbell, .Assistant.

Vegetable Growing.

Howard F. Huber, B.S.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Introduction 5

Area covered 5

General Observations : . . 5

Observations on Mosquito Breeding 7

Life History of the Salt Marsh Mosquito 7

E£Fects of the Tides 7

Mosquito drainage 8

Maintenance of Drainage Ditches 8

Classification of Areas According to Mosquito-breeding Conditions 9

Salt Hay 9

Map 9

Estimates of Cost lo

Summary of Costs ii

Notes on Township of Old Saybrook 12

Introduction 12

Salt Marshes 12

Detailed Description of Individual Salt Marsh Areas 13

Chalker Beach and Chapman's Point Marshes 14

Oyster River Marsh 14

Back River and Plum Bank Creek Marshes 15

South Cove and Fenwick Point Marshes 16

North Cove and Church House Marshes 18

Marshes north of Railroad Line 19

Fresh Water Breeding Areas I9

Malarial Breeding Places I9

Advisability of Controlling Fresh Water Breeding Places . . 20

Kinds of Fresh Water Breeding Places 20

Open Fresh Marshes 20

Wooded Alarshes 20

Sink Holes 20

Edges of Sluggish Streams 20

Description of Individual Fresh Water Breeding Places 21

Summary of Costs for Saybrook 23

Notes on Townships of Lyme and Old Lyme 23

Detailed Descriptions 24

Great Island Marsh 24

Back River Marshes 25

Lieutenant River Marsh 25

Up-River Marshes 26

Duck River and Black Hall Marshes 26

Black Hall River Marshes 28

Shore Marshes 30

Summary of Costs for Lyme 31

Prefatory Note.

The Director of the Connecticut Agricultural Station is author-
ized by law to make rules and orders regarding the elimination
of mosquitoes and personally or by his agent to enter premises
for inspection and to survey and to eliminate by drainage, filling
or otherwise treating mosquito-breeding areas. Due notice of
the proposed plan of elimination must be given by him, and any
one claiming to be aggrieved by the proposed operations may
appeal to the Superior Court.

No funds are provided by the State for the purposes of this
act and therefore the work of mosquito elimination can be under-
taken only at the expense of individuals or local organizations.

The following survey was made at the request and at the
expense of The Old Saybrook Town Improvement Association.
Dr. W. E. Britton, the State and Station Entomologist, who has
had years of experience and study of the mosquito problem in
this State, was given the general superintendence of the matter
and the survey itself was made by Mr. P. L. Buttrick. Mr. But-
trick has made a number of mosquito surveys in other parts of
the State and the principles of work and form of the present
survey will have interest and value to other communities which
are considering the elimination of mosquitoes. The object of
such a survey is to ascertain the location and character of mos-
quito-breeding places, to determine how they can best be elimi-
nated and to roughly estimate the probable cost. It is believed
that this survey, with the accompanying map, makes it possible
for those interested to decide what work is most necessary, where
money can best be spent and the approximate cost of any portion
or of all the work.

E. H. Jenkins, Director.

REPORT ON A MOSQUITO SURVEY AT THE
MOUTH OF THE CONNECTICUT RIVER

By p. L. Buttrick, Special Agent

OF THE

Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

New Haven, Conn.

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 1915

Introduction.

Area Covered. This survey covers all the salt and brackish
marshes in the townships of Old Saybrook and Old Lyme,
together with portions of those in Essex and Lyme. Particular
attention has been given to the marshes bordering the river.
Fresh marshes and other mosquito-breeding places have been
included where it seemed that they were of sufficient importance
to warrant it. In many cases the notes on fresh water areas are
not as complete as those on the salt marsh areas. The notes for
the towns on opposite sides of the river are given separately.
In Saybrook the notes on salt and fresh water areas are separated ;
in Lyme this was impracticable though when possible the esti-
mates are given separately.

General Observations on Salt Marshes. The region of this
survey contains probably the largest group of salt marshes in
the state east of New Haven. The total area of salt and brackish
marshes is :

Old Saybrook 1,373-5 acres

Old Lyme 1,383.1 "

Lyme 492.5 "

Total 3,249.1 "

These marshes vary in character in proportion to the amount
of submergence which they undergo by action of the tide. There
are at least four classes as follows :

6 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 189.

Areas covered with wild rice (Zisania aquatica) and vege-
tation of like nature which are flooded either constantly or at
every high tide. They are known as tidal flats and do not breed
mosquitoes. No areas of this class are shown on the accom-
panying map.

The next class includes the so-called sedge grass marshes
which are quite generally flooded at perigee and apogee tides and
upon which water frequently stands for a considerable time
thereafter. Marshes of this character are inveterate mosquito
breeders. The vegetation upon them, although sometimes cut
for hay, is generally of inferior value.

Marshes less frequently flooded and standing at a higher
level than those just mentioned constitute the next class. They
are generally covered with hay grasses of various kinds, the
most common of which are popularly called black grass (Juncus
gerardi) and red top, or red salt grass (Spartina patens, formerly
known as S. juncea). These marshes breed mosquitoes more
or less, but only under very exceptional conditions do they breed
them as abundantly as the preceding.

As the marsh stretches further and further back from
the shore it is less frequently flooded by salt water and more
frequently by fresh water. This change shows in the vegeta-
tion, which is usually composed either of a sedge called 3-square,
(Scirpus), from the triangular shape of its stems ; or of cat-tails.
Such areas vary from brackish to entirely fresh, but when the
latter stage is reached, the nature of this herbage changes to
that of some of the types of purely fresh marshes. Marshes of
this type are casual breeding places, sometimes breeding both
salt and fresh water mosquitoes. The borders of many of the
marshes, particularly on the Lyme side of the river, consist of
tidal flats.

The Sound marshes, particularly on the Saybrook side, are
mostly of the second or sedge grass type and tlie same is true
of those at the mouth of Black Hall River and on South Cove,
and it is upon them that the worst mosquito breeding takes
place. Further back most of the marshes are of the hay grass
type. Above the railroad bridge they become less and less salt
in character and finally above Essex the salt marsh entirely
disappears.

REGARDING MOSQUITOES AND THEIR BREEDING. ^

Along the Sound shore of Lyme conditions are somewhat dif-
ferent. Here the tidal current sweeps in from the east and the
heavy east winds which blow from the open Atlantic have piled
up the sands along the shore and partly or completely blocked
the marsh drainage, turning many salt marshes into fresh ones
without outlets, or into brackish ones with only occasional out-
lets. As far as mosquito breeding is concerned, these factors
have produced rather special conditions which will be discussed
later.

Observations on Mosquito Breeding. No attempt was made
to identify all the species of mosquitoes found. They were grouped
into the general classes of salt marsh species, fresh water species,
and malarial species. The most common mosquito is the ordinary
banded Salt Marsh Mosquito (Aedes sollicitans, Walker), which
breeds in flood pools wherever they occur on the salt marshes.
This species was found breeding under somewhat unusual con-
ditions far up the river above the area of salt marshes, both
in drainage ditches on Nott's Island, which is a reclaimed fresh
marsh, and in a mud puddle in the road on the edge of the
Essex marsh just up stream from the second Range Light. At
the edges of salt marshes and along the river, where owing to
the influx of fresh water the saline content was light, salt and
fresh water mosquitoes were apparently breeding in the same
pools.

Concerning the fresh water breeding perhaps the most note-
worthy feature is the presence of numerous sink holes which
form ideal Anopheles breeding places.

Life History of Salt Marsh Mosquito. In order to under-
stand the mosquito problem on salt marshes, some knowledge
of the life history of the salt marsh mosquito is necessary. The
eggs are laid upon the salt marsh mud, and not, as with most
species of mosquitoes, on the surface of the water. When cov-
ered with water they hatch, and in about a week, in warm weather,
the adults are ready to fly. They then invade the uplands, often
flying in large numbers for many miles. The salt marshes are
covered periodically by high tides and irregularly by heavy rains.

Effects of the Tides. Generally speaking, the breeding of
the salt marsh mosquito is much more affected by the tides than
by rainfall. Under typical conditions the marshes are flooded

8 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 189.

once or twice a month at perigee and apogee, and definite broods
of mosquitoes are produced once or twice a month in consequence
and can be predicted in advance. This is the condition on
marshes along streams emptying directly into the Sound, par-
ticularly at Saybrook; but on marshes along the river this con-
dition is complicated by the rise and fall of the river due to local
or more often upstream rainfall, so that it is impossible accurately
to predict the time of flooding and the resulting appearance of
mosquito broods. In fact, flooding at irregular intervals by
fresh water is the normal condition on the up-river marshes,
so that in dry seasons they probably breed sparingly if at all,
and in wet seasons moderately but continuously. Above the
railroad bridge the influence of tides on mosquito breeding grows
less and at Essex and beyond it is negligible.

Mosquito Drainage. In order to prevent the breeding of the
salt marsh mosquito it is only necessary to prevent flood water
from standing on the marshes. This is generally accomplished
by putting in a system of ditches which allows water to drain
off within a few hours after the marsh is flooded by tides or
rainfall. Such a system requires a good clear outlet and a main
drainage course of dimensions suited to the size of the area.

A system of parallel ditches from lo to i8 inches wide and
from 24 to 36 inches deep should.be cut at distances varying
from 100 to 300 feet apart, at right angles to this main course.

Most of the marshes at Lyme and Saybrook have main drain-
age courses which can be used as a groundwork for ditching
systems, although in some cases it will be necessary to modify or
supplement them. There are also many old ditches which if
cleaned can be incorporated as part of the new system.

Maintenance of Drainage Ditches. Deep straight-sided
ditches such as are used for mosquito drainage will last almost
indefinitely if they are kept open and in working order. They
should be thoroughly cleaned every year, in the spring, and it is
advisable to have them patrolled during the breeding season and
any casual obstructions removed. Occasional breeding spots
can also be treated when discovered. In all probability it will
require two inspectors to do this patrol work and assist and
supervise the annual cleaning operation. One inspector should
be assigned to each town. The cost of such cleaning and
inspection should not exceed $1,000.00 per annum.

CLASSIFICATION OF MOSQUITO-BREEDING AREAS. 9

According to a recent law passed by the Legislature, towns
are obliged to maintain such ditches if the plan and execution
of the work are duly approved by the Director of the Agricultural
Experiment Station.

Salt Hay. Formerly the marshes of Lyme and Saybrook
were regarded as of more value than at present as sources of
salt hay and were ditched frequently so as to allow tide water to
drain off as this increases the hay yield and improves its quality.
Some of the meadows are still ditched for this purpose but on
many of them the ditches are no longer maintained.

This ditching of hay land operates to prevent mosquito breed-
ing and there are few mosquitoes breeding on the areas so treated.
On the other hand, ditching to eliminate mosquitoes improves the
hay yield. If all marshes were ditched to increase the hay yield
there would be few mosquitoes, or if all were ditched to prevent
mosquito breeding there would be a vastly increased hay yield.

Map. The map submitted with this report shows all the
salt marshes examined and most of them very accurately. A few
dotted areas were mapped in roughly in the field as the base
map did not cover them. This map shows the larger ditches and
drainage channels and in some cases the proposed location of
new main ditches, but it does not show the location of proposed
small ditches as those can as well be laid out in the field and
would scarcely show on the map owing to its reduced scale. Each
area which forms a unit has been assigned a number which is
placed upon the map. A description of the area will be found
by reference to the same number in the notes. Those on the
Saybrook side refer to that town and to Essex; those on the
opposite side to Lyme and Old Lyme. A cross indicates a bad
breeding place or point requiring special consideration. The
charts of the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey were used as a
base map.

Classification of Areas According to Mosquito-breeding

Conditions.

In order to bring out clearly the breeding conditions and rela-
tive importance of the different marsh areas they have been
divided into five groups on the basis of their breeding character,
and each group is colored differently on the map.

Following is a description of these different groups :

lO CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 189.

A. Low sodden marshes, flooded at every perigee and apogee
tide period, and at many intermediate ones. This water remains
long enough for all mosquito larvae to complete their develop-
ment. Such areas respond quickly to rainfall and may produce
added broods because of it. Such marshes are almost constant
mosquito breeders and yield little salt hay. They are colored
m^fmon the accompanying map.

B. High tide grass breeding marshes. Marshes of this kind
have large areas covered with certain grasses or sedges where
water stands long enough twice each month, following perigee
and apogee tides, for mosquitoes to develop. In other portions
mosquito breeding may occur only at perigee tides. It is the
areas of Class B that give rise to the immense broods which
occur only once or twice in a season. In discussing the different
areas of this type of marsh an attempt has been made to give
an estimate of the percentage of the total area which remains
water-covered long enough to breed mosquitoes. Hay yields
on this type of meadow are apt to be small. Areas of this
character are colored'gFayon the map.

C. Marshes covered with open or grassy pools in which
mosquitoes breed abundantly. In this class of marsh the general
surface may or may not be capable of breeding mosquitoes, so
in the descriptions it is sometimes necessary to resort to other
classifications in addition to this one. The hay yield may be
good, but the broken character of the surface renders it difficult
to cut. Marsh of this character is colored red on the accom-
panying map.

D. Marshes on which mosquitoes breed occasionally and scat-
teringly, either in grass or pools. Generally these are fair or
good hay producers. They are colored green on the map.

E. Marshes which breed only casually or rarely and only in
small amotmts, generally in small pools along their inner edges,
or perhaps in clogged ditches. Marshes of this type are generally
either tidal or are high and well drained. The latter are valuable
for salt hay, the former seldom so. This type of marsh is colored
yellow on the map.

Estimate of Cost of Ditching and other Work Necessary to
Eliminate Mosquito Breeding. One object of this survey was
of course to arrive at the probable cost of treating the marshes

ESTIMATED COST OF ELIMINATING BREEDING AREAS. I I

SO as to prevent mosquito breeding. In preparing this estimate
the following factors were considered for each area :

Amount of old ditch to be cleaned ;
Footage of lateral lo" x 30" ditch to be excavated ;
Footage of secondary outlet, generally 2' x 3' ditches required ;
Footage of primary ditches of larger dimensions required ;
Amount of special work, such as building and enlarging cul-
verts, erecting tide gates, bulkheads, etc.

The cost of each was then estimated, in the case of ditch dig-
ging by applying a footage rate; in the case of cleaning old
ditches and doing other work by figuring roughly the amount
of labor and materials required. The footage rate for 10" x 30"
lateral ditches is taken as 2^/2 cents per foot ; for 2' x 3' secondary
ditching 5 cents per foot is used. For larger ditches special
rates have been used and specified. Likewise special rates for the
different fresh water areas have been made to meet their special
conditions.

Summary of Costs.

It should cost roughly $19,000.00 to eliminate all the salt marsh
and more important fresh water breeding areas in the region of
this survey. But $15,000.00 spent on the salt marshes should
be sufficient for them, while $2,000.00 spent on the important
fresh water areas should suffice for all practical purposes. Total
$17,000.00.

Following is a summary of the amount of ditching and costs
in round figures :

AREA SALT MARSHES.

Areas of Old Saybrook i,375 acres

" Old Lyme 1,380

" Lyme 490 "

Total 3.245 "

DITCHING REQUIRED :

10 X 30-inch laterals Old Saybrook 236,500 feet

" " " Old Lyme 265,000 "

" " " Lyme 10,000 "

Total 511,500 "

12 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 189.

2 X 3-foot secondary ditch Old Saybrook 10,700 feet

" " " " Old Lyme 200 "

Total 10,900 "

Larger special ditches Old Saybrook 3, 100 "

cost:

Cleaning old ditches Old Saybrook $ 400.00

" " " Old Lyme 250.00

Cutting lateral ditches Old Saybrook 5,900.00

" " " Old Lyme 6,850.00

" " " Lyme 250.00

Digging of 2x3-foot ditches Old Saybrook 550.00

" " " '■ " Old Lyme 50.00

Special ditches Old Saybrook 400.00

Cost of special work Old Saybrook 550.00

" " " " Old Lyme 700.00

Total cost for salt marshes $15,900.00

By eliminating certain areas as mentioned in the notes this sum
could be reduced to the neighborhood of $15,000.00.

The rough estimate of the fresh water areas made under con-
ditions mentioned above is :

Old Saybrook $1,200.00

Essex 900.00

Old Lyme 800.00

Total $2,900.00

Grand Total $18,800.00

Notes on Township of Old Saybrook.
introduction.

In Old Saybrook Township the breeding areas have been
divided into two classes, salt marsh and fresh water areas, and
each is discussed separately. The salt marshes being the more
important are discussed first.

salt marshes.

The salt marshes may further be divided more or less naturally
into six groups as follows:

Chalker Beach and Chapman's Point Marshes (Nos. 1-3 on
map).

SURVEY OF TOWN OF OLD SAYBROOK. 1 3

Oyster River Marshes (Nos. 3-7 on map).

Back River and Plum Bank Creek Marshes (Nos. 8-21 on
map).

South Cove and Fenwick Point Marshes (Nos, 22-40 on map).

North Cove and Church House Marshes (Nos, 41-48 on map).

Marshes north of railroad line (Nos. 48-52 on map).

Of these groups, the first, third and fourth are the most
important — ^not so much because of their proximity to the settled
portion of the town as because of their breeding qualities.
Marshes north of the railroad are both remote and largely non-
breeding and therefore of comparatively little importance. The
Oyster River and North Cove and Church House marshes are
moderate breeders and close enough to the settled portions of the
town to require consideration but excepting the marshes north
of the railroad are less important than the others.

H there is only a limited sum of money available so that only
a portion of the area can be treated, the above will serve as a
guide to indicate the sections which can best be omitted.

Detailed Description of Individual Salt Marsh
Breeding Areas.

The following points regarding individual breeding areas are
taken up :

Location of Area, Each area is numbered and in some cases
also named. These numbers and names also occur upon the map
and afford a ready means of locating it.

Grade of Breeding. Expressed by letters from A to E, the
significance of which has been explained on pages 9 and 10. In
the case of grass breeding areas, a figure giving approximate
percentage of the surface of the marsh capable of breeding
mosquitoes is also given.

Size of Area. Given in acres and tenths of acres.

Vegetation and Value of Salt Hay. Brief description only.

Work Necessary to Eliminate Mosquito Breeding. Gives
footage of ditching of various sizes required as well as other
work necessary. The requirements for lateral ditch of 10" x 24"-
30" dimensions are given in terms of the average distance apart
these ditches should be placed. The common distances are 150
and 200 feet. They are expressed thus: 1/150, 1/200, etc.

14 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 189.

Cost. This is figured in accord with the footage rates given
on section 9, page 8, of the Introduction.

Descriptions.
Chalker Beach and Chapman's Point Marshes.

1. Class B, 40 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 23.3 acres (approxi-
mate). Hay very poor. The outlet of this marsh is a channel parallel
to the beach and drains into area No. 2, but it is blocked by the roadway
to Chalker Beach. A culvert should be placed under this road at a cost of
perhaps $100.00. A 1/200 ditch system should be constructed. Footage
required, 4,850. Cost, $121.25. With culvert, $221.25.

2. Class B, with 25 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 93.3 acres. Hay
poor, but cut to some extent. This marsh has a number of sodden cove-
like areas where breeding is intensive. Most of these have ditches into
them but they are badly blocked and should be reopened and a new 1/200
system dug. Footage required, 19,400. . Cost, $485.00.

3. Class B, with 85 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 4.5 acres, on which
the hay is cut. This marsh is a particularly bad breeder because the main
drain is largely choked and the outlet is almost entirely blocked by
cottages. This main ditch should be opened {^yi:^ feet) and the outlet
restored. Perhaps a 2-foot tile drain 50 feet across the beach would insure
this outlet being kept open. Cost, about $75.00. Lateral ditches, 1/150
feet, should also be cut. Amount of ditching required, 1,250. Cost, $31.25.
Total cost, cleaning, ditching and installing drain, $106.25.

Oyster River Marsh.

4. Class B, 10 per cent, breeding surface. Chiefly at the lower end.
Area, 13.6 acres. Hay mostly sedge, but is cut. A few old ditches run-
ning into odd corners should be opened and a 1/200 system of lateral
ditches cut. Footage required, 6,300. Cost, $157.50.

5. A Class D area of 6.5 acres. Upper end fresh, but marsh should be
treated as a unit. It produces good black grass hay but is rapidly deteri-
orating owing to obstruction of ditches and will soon be breeding as a
Class B area. The culvert under roadway should be enlarged to 3 feet in
diameter and a tide-gate installed. Probable cost, $200.00. A 2-foot ditch
should be dug through the center of this area and a 1/150 system of laterals
cut. Footage, main ditch, 800; cost, $40.00; laterals, 1,800; cost, $45.00.
Total cost, $285.00.

6. Class B, 40 per cent, breeding surface, except at upper end near
railroad where it is Class C west of creek and Class D east. Area, 45.4
acres. Formerly a good hay meadow but now largely sedge grass with
many bare spots. Requires a 1/150 ditching system over whole marsh and
the reopening of main ditches into various ends. Footage required, 13,200.
Cost, $330.00.

SURVEY OF TOWN OF OLD SAYBROOK. 1 5

7. Class E, lower end, C, and a B area as indicated by X. Area, 42.1
acres (approximate). Salt marsh changing into fresh. Cat-tails and
3-square grass. Upper end probably a fresh water breeder but rather
remote to be of much consequence. Tide gate where road crosses is in
poor condition and needs repairing. If this marsh is entirely ditched a
1/200 system should be installed. Footage, 8,800. Cost, $220.00. But 1,500
feet at lower end near railroad might answer all practical purposes and
cost would be only $37.50.

Back River and Phtin Bank Creek Marshes.

8. Class B, along shores of island Class A. Fifty per cent, breeding
surface in Class B portion. Area, 56.4 acres. Hay thin, mostly sedge
grass. Requires a 1/150 ditching system. Footage, 16,300. Cost, $407.50.

9. Class C. Area, 4.5 acres. Hay good but cannot be cut with machine
on account of pools. Requires a 1/200 ditching system. Footage, 900.
Cost, $22.50.

10. Class B, 10 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 53.1 acres. Numerous
sodden cove-like portions, some cut off by roadway. Hay fair in spots,
mostly sedge grass. All old ditches should be reopened and culverts
placed under roadway. Cost, $25.00 more or less. Cut a 1/150 ditching
system. Footage, 15,400. Cost, $385.00. Total cost, $410.00.

11. Class B, 10 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 17.8 acres. Hay very
thin. An old roadway to island was made by throwing a dike across a
branch of the creek. This should be cleared away and a bridge sub-
stituted to secure rapid draining of sodden areas up stream. It would be
about a week's work for one man to clear away this old dike. Cost, $10.00-
$15.00. Besides that a 1/150 system of ditches should be installed. Foot-
age, 5,200. Cost, $130.00. Total cost, $145.00-$! 50.00.

(See No. 17 for description of channel draining through this area.)

12. Class D. (Owing to influence of a few local ditches.) Area, 8.4
acres. It should be treated along with rest of marsh and a 1/150
system dug using old ditches where possible. Hay fair. Footage required,
2,400. Cost, $60.00.

13. Class B, 20 per cent, breeding surface, upper end covered with cat-
tail. Area, 6.5 acres. No hay to amount to anything. Open main drain,
2x3 feet, and cut 1/150 laterals. Footage required: main ditch, 1,000;
laterals, 1,900. Cost: main ditch, $50.00; laterals, $47.50; total, $97.50.

14. Class B, 25 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 20.1 acres. Hay very
scant. Clean present ditches as indicated on map and add a 1/150 ditching
system. Footage : cleaning, 900 ; new ditches, 5,800. Cost : cleaning,
$22.50; new ditches, $145.00. Total, $167.50.

15. Class E. Cat-tail marsh. Area less than I acre. Open main drain-
age course, length, 350 feet. Cost, $8.75.

1 6 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 1 89.

16. Class B, 50 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 16.2 acres. Open
2 X 3-foot channels into various cove-like areas as per map and add 1/150
system of lateral ditches. Footage: 2-foot channels, 2,000; laterals, 4,700.
Cost: main channel, $100.00; laterals, $117.50. Total, $217.50.

17. Class B (A along western edge), breeding surface 90 per cent,
potential, probably never attains this figure or anything like it, as fish are
apparently always present in some of the pools. Area, 71.3 acres. Hay
largely valueless. So much water remains upon this area most of the
time that it will be necessary to reopen the half obliterated channel east
of the island through No. 11. This channel should be made at least 4 feet
deep and 3 feet wide. The present channel should be cleaned and
straightened and extended to the upper end of the marsh so as to connect
with the various fresh water breeding areas draining into it. 2 x 3-foot
ditches should also be dug into the various corners as shown on the map
and a 1/200 system installed. Footage: new outlet, 1,300; extension of
main ditch, 3,500; laterals, 12,700. Cost: new outlet, $130.00; extension
main ditch, $175.00; laterals, $317.50. Total, $622.50.

18. Qass B and C, 40 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 6.5 acres.
One-third sedge grass hay. Requires 1/150 ditching system. Footage,
1,900. Cost, $47.50.

19. Class B and C, 35 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 36.9 acres.
No hay. Requires 1/150 ditching system. Footage, 10,700. Cost, $267.50.

20. Class B and C, 50 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 33.0 acres.
No hay. Ditching system, 1/200. Footage, 6,900. Cost, $172.50.

21. Class B, 85 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 18.8 acres. No hay.
Open new ditch 2x3 feet into corner as indicated by map and ditch 1/200.
Footage: 2-foot ditch, 1,200; laterals, 4,000. Cost: 2-foot ditch, $60.00;
laterals, $100.00. Total, $160.00.

South Cove and Fenwick Point Marshes.

22. Class B, 20 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 13 acres. Hay fair.
Clean upper ends of existing ditches and add a 1/150 system. Footage,
3,800. Cost, $95.00.

23. Class A. Area, 6.5 acres. Hay of little or no value. Make extra
outlet (2x3 feet) through neck of highland, which is only i foot above
marsh level, as shown on map, and cut i/ioo laterals. Footage : new out-
let, 670; laterals, 2,500. Cost: new outlet, $35.00; laterals, $62.50. Total,
$97-50.

24. Class B, A along inner edge. Forty per cent, breeding surface.
Area, 3.2 acres. Hay fair. New ditches, 1/150. Footage required, 900.
Cost, $22.50.

SURVEY OF TOWN OF OLD SAYBROOK. 1 7

25. Class B, 15 per cent, breeding. Area, 58.3 acres. Good hay
meadow but beginning to deteriorate. Larger ditches in fair shape but
smaller ones badly choked and need cleaning. New ditches required
1/200 system. Footage: old ditches to be cleaned, 2,800; new ditches,
12,000. Cost : cleaning old ditches, $70.00 ; digging new ones, $300.00.
Total, $370.00.

26. Class A. Area, 3.2 acres ; no hay. Open main channel 2x3 feet,
length 350 feet, and ditch i/ioo. Footage, 1,300. Cost: main ditch, $18.00;
laterals, $32.50. Total, $50.50.

27. Class B, 20 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 14.9 acres. Hay
light. Clean upper portion of main channel and ditch 1/150. Footage,
4,300. Cost, $107.50.

28. Class A. Area less than i acre. No hay. Requires i main and i
cross ditch. Footage, 500. Cost, $12.50.

29. Class E. Area, 3.2 acres. Black grass hay. Clean main ditch,
1,000 feet. Cost, $25.00.

30. Class E. Area 3.2 acres. No hay. Ditch 1/200, footage, 650.
Cost, $16.25.

31. Class D. Area, 3.9 acres. A little hay. Ditch 1/200, spaced closer
toward eastern end. Footage, 800. Cost, $20.00.

32. Class C. Area less than i acre. Hay good. Has ditching system
which is badly clogged. If opened would be sufficient. Cost, $10.00.

33. Smaller lagoon at Fenwick Point. Shores of this lagoon are a
Class D salt marsh. Area, 1.9. Edges here should be cleaned up and the
material thrown back upon the marsh which should then be ditched i/ioo.
Footage, 800. If it is decided to excavate this marsh sufficiently to add to
the lagoon and use excavated material to fill in other portions so that
marsh is entirely abolished a special estimate will have to be prepared.

The costs of ditching as laid out will be about $20.00.

34. Fenwick Point marsh and larger lagoon. This is a Class B marsh
with 50 per cent, breeding. Area, 25.3 acres. Hay of little value. Drain,
1/150. Footage, 7,300. Cost, $182.50. Probably it will be necessary to
lower outlet by removing rocks below bridge (a small job) and to install
tide gates at that point. Measurements : Distance across bridge, 13 feet.
Height from stream bed to bridge head, 6 feet. Depth of water at high
tide, 4^ feet. Bottom sand and rock. Runway rock-faced, tight enough
to support gate. The cost of such a gate would probably not exceed
$50.00, including deepening of channel below. A desirable way in which to
treat this whole marsh would be to erect a sod dike around the lagoon
and along the stream draining it, put in a tide gate as indicated and fill
in the marsh with material from the channel the next time it is dredged.
Total cost of ditching and tide gate, $232.50.

1 8 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 189.

35. Class E, but a single bad B area as indicated by X. Area, 8.4 acres.
Hay in pockets is good but along shore is valueless. Ditches 1/300.
Footage, 1,200. Cost, $30.00.

36. Class B west of creek, D east. Area, 13 acres. Salt grass hay.
Clean old ditches and add equal amount of new to connect with 2>7- Old
ditches, 1,500; new ditches, i,Soo. Cost: old ditches, $37.50; new ditches,
$37.50. Total, $75.00.

37. Class D, possibly B. Area, i acre. Hay fair. Clean ditches (400
feet) and open culvert. May be necessary to enlarge this culvert. Cost
for cleaning ditches, $10.00.

38. Class E. A- few small B places. Area, Z-'^' acres. Hay black grass.
Ditch 1/250 but spaced according to necessity. Footage, 800. Cost, $20.00.

39. Class D. Area, 17.5. Good hay. Ditch 1/200 where needed.
Footage, 3,600. Cost, $90.00.

40. Class E. Area, 7.1 acres. Hay doubtful. No treatment required
beyond keeping ditches open.

North Cove and Church House Marshes.

41. Class D. Area, 51.2 acres. Salt and black grass hay. Upper end
of many branches covered with cat-tails. This area has a good ditching
system, but ditches should be thoroughly cleaned and opened, or in a few
years marsh will be in bad shape. A marginal ditch should be dug around
whole meadow to look after casual breeding along inner end and ditches
to main creek should be dug into ends at a, b, c and d. Footage, old
ditches to be cleaned, 7,000 more or less. New ditches, 10,000 more or
less. Cost: cleaning old ditches, $100.00; digging new ones, $250.00.
Total, $350.00.

42. Class D. Area, 3.2 acres. Hay good. Requires ditching 1/150
and a marginal ditch. Footage, 1,000. Cost, $25.00.

43. Class E. Area, 2.6 acres. To clean existing ditches is enough.
Cost, $10.00-$ 1 5.00.

44. Class E. Area less than an acre. No treatment required.

45. Class E. Largely cat-tails, upper end potential fresh water and
malarial breeder. Area, 3.2 acres. Open main channel 2x3 feet through
46 to cove. Footage, 1,200. Cost, $60.00.

46. Class D. Area, 12.9 acres. Good hay. Marsh fairly well ditched,
but new ones should be spaced between existing ones where distance
exceeds 400 feet between them. Footage, 2,000, more or less. Cost, $50.00.

47. Church House Lot. Class D, a few B or C areas as indicated by X.
Otherwise breeding is casual. Area, 309 acres. Inner edge largely cat-
tails and most of larger ditches are bordered by them or equivalent vegeta-
tion. Outer portions mostly black grass ; other parts excellent salt grass.

SURVEY OF TOWN OF OLD SAYBROOK. 1 9

By cleaning old ditches and cutting new ones where distance between
present ones exceeds 400 feet, area could be made mosquito proof.
Footage required, 2,500. Cost, $62.50.

48. Island part of Church House Lot, Class E. Area, 19.4 acres.
Mostly black grass hay. A 1/300 ditching system would drain a few poten-
tial breeding pools and improve the hay. Footage, 2,500. Cost, $62.50.

Marshes North of Railroad Line.

49. Class D. Area, 29.8 acres. Mostly good black grass hay but there
are a few bad breeding corners as indicated by Xs. The ditches in some
of them are badly clogged and are breeding both Cule.v and Anopheles.
These should be cleaned carefully and a new 1/200 system opened. Foot-
age : old ditches, 2,000 ; new, 6,200. Cost : old ditches, $20.00, new,
$155.00. Total, $175.00.

50. Class D. Area, 12.9 acres. Distinctly a salt marsh but now breed-
ing fresh water mosquitoes in clogged ditches. Hay, red salt grass. Open
old ditches and ditch 1/200. Footage: old ditches, 1,600; new ditches,
2,600. Cost : old ditches, $20.00 ; new ditches, $65.00. Total cost, $85.00.

51. Class D. Area, 32.4 acres. Lower end (north) brackish, upper
end (south) practically fresh, breeds Culex and Anopheles and might
easily become a plague spot although not now bad. Is classed as a salt
marsh because of its vegetation, A main ditch 4x4 feet square and an
outlet cut under Ferry Road to 49 would probably be sufficient. Footage
of ditch required, 1,800. Cost, $300.00, more or less. Cost of culvert
under road, $150.00, more or less. Total, $450.00, more or less.

52. Class E. Area, 110.8 acres. Largely cat-tail (outer portion) and
3-square grass (inner) brackish, breeds both salt and fresh water mos-
quitoes. To render entirely safe a 1/200 ditching system required but as
compared with other areas scarcely worth doing. Pootage, 23,000. Cost,

$575.00.

Fresh Water Breeding Areas.

Although no special attempt was made to study the fresh water
breeding places of the town, enough were seen to warrant a brief
description of them, together with a few general comments.

Malarial Breeding Places, Practically all fresh water breed-
ing places examined are capable of breeding the Anopheles or
malarial mosquito, and wherever sufficient search was made they
were found breeding. That Saybrook (and the same is true of
Lyme) does not suffer extensively from malaria is apparently
due to the absence of the disease itself rather than to the absence
of its hosts. Certainly the stage is set for an epidemic and should
a sufficient number of cases become established the disease would
probably speedily become widespread.

20 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 189.

Advisability of Controlling Fresh Water Breeding Places.

As far as obtaining freedom from the mosquito nuisance is con-
cerned little or nothing would be accomplished save here and
there locally to do away with the fresh water breeding areas,
although the menace of malaria would be eliminated. On the
other hand, to abolish the salt marsh breeding areas and leave
the fresh water ones untouched would practically abate the
nuisance except in the immediate neighborhood of the fresh water
areas but would do nothing to eliminate the danger of malaria.

In case funds are not forthcoming to do both, it is our opinion
that some of the salt marshes up the river could be safely
neglected and the money necessary to ditch them be spent instead
on some of the large and more important fresh water areas near
the village.

Kinds of Fresh Water Breeding Places. There are several
kinds of fresh water breeding places in Saybrook : ( i ) The inland
ends of many of the salt marshes are often fresh or at least only
faintly brackish. These are often cat-tail areas. They are gen-
erally not very serious breeders and can best be treated along
with the salt marshes of which they are really a part.

Open Fresh Marshes. Many of these are covered with cat-
tails, but are frequently bad breeding areas and produce many
malarial mosquitoes. They must be ditched or otherwise treated.

Wooded Marshes. These are apt to breed mosquitoes only
early in the season and are seldom of much importance — at least
so long as the other areas are untreated.

Sink Holes. Sometimes these areas are swampy and some-
times are open pools or puddles. The latter are usually less
troublesome. The best treatment of sink holes is to fill them.
By the use of a team and a drag scraper such an operation is
not expensive, and at a trifling expense an area capable of cultiva-
tion takes the place of a breeding hole. When filling is not
practicable an outlet should be provided.

Edges of Sluggish Streams. These are sometimes bad
breeding places for malarial mosquitoes but there seem to be
few places of this kind in Saybrook.

Following is a brief description of some of the important fresh
water breeding places west of the Connecticut River. The esti-
mates of cost are very rough but should come within 30 per cent.

SURVEY OF TOWN OF OLD SAYBROOK. 2 1

The total estimated cost of treating the fresh water breeding
places is $1,175.00, not including the Essex marsh.

Description of Individual Fresh Water Breeding Areas.
F I. Open marsh, semi-permanent breeder. Open main drain into 2.
Footage, 1,600. Cost, $50.00, more or less.

F 2. Lily pond and open swamp, permanent breeder. Lower the out-
let to pond so as to drain swamp. (Not an expensive job. Cost, perhaps,
$25.00.)

F3. Fresh water pond hole, constant breeder on small scale. Open
channel to salt marsh 50 feet away. Cost, perhaps, $35.00.

F 4. Pond hole once connected with marsh at 10. Reopen ditch.

F 5. Two wooded sink holes each about 100 feet in diameter. Per-
manent or semi-permanent breeders!^ Fill to depth of 4 feet, moving earth
from surrounding banks. Requires movement of 2,000 cubic yards of
earth. The cost of moving with drag scraper would be about 10 cents
per yard or about $200.00.

F 6. Two wooded sink holes. Permanent or semi-permanent breeders.
Their treatment would be rather expensive as it would be necessary either
to cut off the timber and scrape earth into them, or else to cart it from
a distance. A 25-foot bank lies between them and the salt marsh, calling
for considerable excavating which would make it expensive to open an
outlet. It would probably cost $250.00.

F 7. Wooded sink hole, permanent or semi-permanent breeder. Open
drain to salt marsh at 17, 100 feet away. Cost, $25.00, more or less.

F 8. Pond hole semi-permanent breeder. Dig drain into salt marsh
at 17, some 60 feet distant. Cost, $15.00, more or less.

Fg. Pond hole, permanent or semi-permanent breeder. Place culvert
under roadway to salt marsh at 17, some 25 feet distant. Cost, with
24-inch tile pipe, about $40.00.

F ID. Swampy pool on both sides of Cornfield Point road. Place
culvert under old roadway to drain portion east of highway and fill the
west portion. Cost of both operations, perhaps, $60.00.

F II. Pond hole 100x50 feet and 3 feet deep. Breeds along edges and
might be filled but unimportant till much other work is done.

F 12. Low lying grass area. Breeds only during very wet seasons.
150 feet of ditch, 12 x 18 inches through center parallel to road, and a
culvert under road to beach would probably keep this area dry. Cost,
probably $15.00 to $25.00.

2 2 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 189.

F 13. Fresh water lagoon and cat-tail swamp at Saybrook Point.
Area of swamp, 6.5 acres. Breeds whenever water stands in the cat-tails.
It would be futile to ditch this area as it stands, since the water stands
at the same level in the swamp as in the lagoon, but if an opening were
made into the river so that the tide would rise and fall in the lagoon,
then by ditching the marsh breeding could be checked. Footage of ditch
required for marsh would be 1,300. Cost, at 2>^ cents per foot, $19.50,
The cost of placing culvert under railroad might be as high as $100.00.
A 4-foot tile drain would not be too big.

F 14, Small fresh water and cat-tail swamp. Requires 300 feet of main
ditch and 100 feet cross ditch opening into a culvert draining into 43.
Cost, $40.00, or less.

F 15. Fresh water cat-tail swamp and shallow lagoon draining into 46,
through ditch parallel with railroad. This is a large and intensive malarial
breeding place and should have attention. The drainage ditch is rather
badly choked and should be thoroughly cleaned. Two-foot drains should
then be dug to each neck of marsh. Total footage, 2,500. Cost, $125.00.
Cleaning main ditch, $25.00.

F 16. Open fresh marsh. Drainage badly choked. Open up drain to
outlet from F 15. Length, 500 feet. Cost, $15.00, more or less.

F 17. Fresh marsh, upper end wooded, lower end covered with cat-tail.
Open up channel into creek in 47.

F 18. Large marsh back of railroad station at Saybrook Junction with
growth of wood and cat-tail. In wet seasons it may breed mosquitoes,
enough to be dangerous and annoying; in an ordinary season it may give
no trouble at all. The only remedy is to open up the main channels and
add laterals if it becomes necessary. The main channels are about 6,000
feet long, and it might cost $150.00 to clean and open them.

F 19. Small wooded marsh of little consequence.

F 20. Small pond edged with cat-tails and swamp. Clean up the edges.

F 21 and 22. Cat-tail swamps. Too small and remote to be of con-
sequence.

F 23. Essex Marsh area, 155 acres. Vegetation, cat-tails and sedges
of various kinds. At time of visit water stood over whole marsh and it
was in condition to breed fresh water mosquitoes abundantlj^ However,
in a dry season it probably would be much less dangerous. This marsh
even at its worst is probably of little importance to Old Saybrook and
Old Lyme. There would be ho difficulty about draining it. A 1/200
system should be sufficient. Footage, 32,000. Cost at 2j^ cents per foot,
$000.00.

SURVEY OF TOWNS OF LYME AND OLD LYME. 23

Summary of Costs for Saybrook.
Area i, 373-5 acres

Cost of cleaning old ditches $ 405.00

Footage of lateral ditches, 236,500 ; cost 5,912.00

Footage, 2' x 3', secondary ditches, 10,720; cost 538.00

Footage, larger special ditches, 3,100; cost 430.00

Tide gates, culverts, etc. ; cost 540.00

Total for salt marshes $7,825.00

Total for fresh marshes 1,175.00

Total for town of Old Saybrook $9,000.00

Essex Marshes 900.00

Total west of River $9,900.00

Average cost per acre for work on salt marshes is estimated at $5.70.

Notes on Townships of Lyme and Old Lyme.

The salt marshes of Lyme may be divided not altogether
arbitrarily into the following groups :

Great Island, Nos. i-6 inclusive.

Back River, Nos. 7-10 inclusive.

Lieutenant River, Nos. 11-15 inclusive.

Up-river marshes, Nos. 16-19 inclusive.

Duck River and Black Hall marsh, Nos. 20-32 inclusive.

Black Hall River marshes, Nos. 33-56 inclusive.

Shore marshes, Nos. 57-75 inclusive.

Of these groups the Great Island, Duck River and Black Hall,
and Black Hall River marshes are the most important. The
Lieutenant River and Back River marshes are of little impor-
tance despite their proximity to the settled portions of the town,
owing to their character, while the up-river marshes are both
remote and sparse-breeding. The shore marshes are some of
them bad breeders but constitute a separate problem for the people
of Sound View, South Lyme and the various shore resorts of
the section, and east of the Mill Creek marsh the shore marshes
might be safely disregarded as far as their efifect on the village
of Old Lyme is concerned.

The fresh water breeding areas of Lyme, excepting along the
south shore, are chiefly at the upper ends of the salt marshes and

24 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 189.

will largely be taken care of along with them. Along the south
shore some of the old salt marshes which have become fresh
require special treatment as has been mentioned under the detailed
descriptions.

Although the notes for fresh and salt breeding areas are not
separated in the summary, they are so far as possible tabulated
under different headings.

Much of the introductory matter given for Saybrook (see page
12) also applies to Lyme.

Detailed Description of Individual Breeding Areas in Lyme
AND Old Lyme Townships.

Great Island Marsh.

1. Class C except at Xs where moderate-sized B areas exist and near
the north end where there is an E cat-tail area. Except on this area hay
is good red top. Area, 171. i acres. The creek branches much more than
is shown on map, extending nearly to the lower islands, but is rather
clogged with vegetation. It should be cleaned out and a 1/200 system
installed with reference to it and to the shore. Footage, 35,590. Cost,
$889.75. The cost of cleaning out the creek can only be guessed at, but I
should think it might cost $200.00, more or less. Total cost, $1,089.75.

2. Class D, a few small B spots. Area, 15.6 acres. Excellent black
grass hay. Will not require more than 1/300 ditching spaced so as to
drain individual breeding places. Footage, 2,750. Cost, $68.75.

3. Class C. Good salt and black grass hay. Area, 46 acres. Ditch
1/200. Footage, 9,570. Cost, $239.75.

4. Class C. Hay fair along lower end, excellent at upper end. Area,
ZZ acres. Requires ditching 1/200 average but rather closer at the lower
end. Footage, 6,860. Cost, $171.50.

5. Class C, except at X which is B. Area, 16.8 acres. Poor quality
salt grass hay. Requires, 1/150 ditching system. Footage, 4,870. Cost,

$121.75.

6. Class C, except at X which is B, an acre or so of solid 95 per cent,
breeding. Area, 36.9 acres. Upper end good black grass hay but of course
many holes and small grass breeding depressions exist. Requires ditching
1/200. Footage, 7,670. Cost, $191.75.

Note. The total area of Great Island is 319.4 acres and the estimated
cost of ditching and other improvements is $1,882.75.

SURVEY OF TOWNS OF LYME AND OLD LYME. 25

Back River Marshes.

7. Nameless island, Class D. On east side of the island chiefly wild
rice grows, on the west side black grass. Area, 29.8 acres. Western side
requires ditching 1/200. Footage required, 3,100. Cost, $77.50.

8. Class D, but scattering non-breeding areas. Chiefly cat-tail covered,
rest hay grasses. Area, 135.4 acres. Requires 1/300 ditching. Footage,
19,630. Cost, $490.75.

9. Class D. Black and salt grass hay. Area, 42.1 acres. Clean old
ditches and add 1/200 new ones. Footage : old ditches, 700, more or less ;
new ditches, 8,760. Cost: cleaning old ditches, $17.50; digging new ones,
$209.00. Total, $226.50.

ID. Class D, except the portion above railroad embankment which is B.
Area, 48.8 acres. Black grass and cat-tails. Main channel in portion
above railroad should be opened, length 200 feet, and made 2x3 feet and
200 feet of laterals dug. If it proves necessary a tide gate should be hung
on the culvert under the railroad. Cost, $25.00, more or less. The main
marsh should be ditched 1/200 but by using present ditches the total
amount can be reduced probably 30 per cent. Footage required, 7,100.
Footage, 2 x 3-foot ditch, 200. Cost, at 5 cents per foot, $10.00. Cost,
lateral ditches, $177.50. Total cost, $185.50.

Lieutenant River Marsh.

11. Class D, possibly rarely breeds as a B area. Area, 9.7 acres. Good
salt and black grass hay. Requires ditching 1/125. Footage, 3,200. Cost,
$80.00.

12. Class D. Area, 32.4 acres. About 40 per cent, of this area is
covered with cat-tails which follow the creeks and ditches and cover most
of the ends and pockets, thus preventing them from being bad breeders.
Outside of this the vegetation is mostly of hay grasses. Channels should
be opened into the various ends and ditches dug in spaces where distance
between existing ditches exceeds 400 feet. Estimated footage of 2x3
ditch 200, of laterals 3,500, more or less. Cost, 2 x 3-foot ditch, $10.00;
laterals, $87.50. Total, $97.50.

13. Class D. .Area, 16.2 acres. Hay good. Requires 1/200 ditching.
Footage, 3,370. Cost, $84.25.

14. Class D. Area, 32.4 acres. Partly cat-tails ; rest good hay.
Requires ditches into dead ends and 1/200 system. Footage, 6,740. Cost,
$168.50.

15. Class D, or possibly E. Upper Lieutenant River Marsh ; lower end
salt; upper brackish or perhaps entirely fresh. Vegetation mostly cat-
tails and sedges of various kinds, the two being about equally divided.
Approximate acreage, 162 acres. The lower end of this marsh is a typical
Class D area. Above, where it is brackish or fresh it may breed fresh

26 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 189.

water species more or less, but owing to its remoteness could possibly be
neglected. To properly ditch this marsh would require a 1/200 system.
Footage, 33,700. Cost, $842.50. Probably one-third of this sum spent on
the lower end would be sufficient.

Up-River Marshes.

16. Calves Island. Class E, with few B spots as indicated. Area, 44.1
acres. A typical salt marsh; vegetation mostly black grass. This area is
probably seldom flooded. A 1/300 ditching system, spacing ditches so as to
drain individual pools would be sufficient. Footage, 6,390. Cost, $159.75.

17. Goose Island. Class E. Area, 88.8 acres. Mostly cat-tails except
along eastern shore where it is an old black grass marsh, but is being
rapidly overrun by cat-tails. This outer area might breed more or less
but a system of 1/200 ditches extending 150 feet back from shore would
be sufficient to drain it. Footage, 3,000. Cost, $75.00.

18. Lord's Cove Marsh. Class E. Area, 492.5 acres. Lower end black
grass and cat-tails ; upper 3-square grass and cat-tails. The latter together
with similar forms of vegetation cover more than 50 per cent, of the
marsh and are increasing. They follow the hay ditches and small creeks
and are constantly encroaching still further on the general surface of the
marsh. Wherever possible hay is still collected and the yield is high.
The general character of this area is a low, occasionally flooded meadow,
yet even at its north end it is distinctly brackish in character. It is flooded
only by heavy rains and freshets. Occasional depressions breed salt
marsh mosquitoes in more or less abundance. The highest point of salt
marsh breeding actually found was opposite the north end of Nott's Island,
as shown by cross on map. In a dry season it would probably breed very
few mosquitoes. The only treatment that this marsh requires is to clean
some of the smaller ditches and to dig new ones here and there to drain
individual breeding areas. Footage, 10,000. Cost, $250.00. Very rough
estimate.

19. Nott's Island. A reclaimed marsh used for hay farming. A few
depressions near middle of lower half of the island are breeding salt marsh
mosquitoes but in a dry season would probably not do so. A thorough
cleaning of existing ditches and a new median ditch would not onh- render
this area non-breeding but would improve its hay yiel'd. Footage ; old
ditches needing cleaning 4,000; (rough approximation) new ditches, 1,000.
Cost: cleaning old ditches, $40.00; digging new ones, $50.00. Total,
$90.00.

Duck River and Black Hall Marshes.

20. Lower Duck River Marsh. Class D. Area, 27.2 acres. Sedge grass
hay, but is used. Clean existing ditches, particularly those running into the
various ends, and ditch 1/200. Footage, S,66o. Cost, $141.50.

21. Upper Duck River, Nos. 21, 22 and 23, Class B. Ten per cent,
breeding surface. Area, 12.3 acres. Upper portion and edges brackish and

SURVEY OF TOWNS OF LYME AND OLD LYME. 27

covered with cat-tail. Hay poor. Open creek for 200 feet toward upper
end and clean culvert under roadway. Ditch i/ioo. Footage, 5,120. A
tide gate at the highway bridge may prove necessary here. A small fresh
water lily pond drains immediately into this area. It is a potential malarial
breeder on a considerable scale. The edges should be cleaned and the
swamp at its upper end dug out. Cost : lily pond, $100.00 ; main creek
and culvert work, $35.00; lateral ditches, $128.00. Total, $265.00. Tide
gate, if necessary, $50.00.

22. Class B, 10 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 7.8 acres. Upper end
cat-tail and wooded swamp. Straighten main creek and ditch i/ioo. Foot-
age, 3,240. Total cost, $81.00.

23. Fresh marsh. Three-square grass and some cat-tails. Area, 16.2
acres. Probably always contains a few breeding places but particularly
bad at this time owing to rains and unsatisfactory condition of salt marsh
below. Clean main creek at lower end. This means digging a 2 x 3-foot
channel 1,000 feet long. Cut 1/200 laterals. Footage, 3,370. Cost, at 23/2
cents per foot, $84.25. Main creek, at 5 cents per foot, $50.00. Total,
$134-25.

24. Class E. Area, 3.2 acres. Excellent black grass hay but ditch is
almost blocked and if not cleaned area will deteriorate rapidly. Footage
required, 250. Cost, $10.00.

25. Down-stream portion. Class D; up-stream, B. Area, g.i acres.
Hay is cut. Ditch 1/150. Footage, 2,640. Cost, $66.00.

26. Well ditched fresh marsh now largely reclaimed; satisfactory so
long as ditches are kept open.

27. Pond hole 200 feet long, 50 feet wide. Intensive breeder of both
salt and fresh water species of mosquitoes. Open outlet to salt marsh at
25 to connect with ditching system there. Length required, 100 feet.
Height of land between, 2 feet. Cost of 2' x 3' ditch, approximately, $15.00.

28. Class D. Area, 9.1 acres. Hay good. Ditch 1/150. Footage, 2,640.
Cost, $66.00.

29. Fresh cat-tail marsh. Area, i acre. Potential malarial mosquito
breeder of considerable size. Culvert under roadway at lower end too
small. Cost of enlarging, perhaps $100.00. Main channel needs cleaning,
300 feet; cost, $15.00. Laterals, 1/150. Footage, 290. Cost, $7.25. Total
cost, $122.25.

30. Upper end of 29 above railroad. In wet weather fresh water and
malarial mosquito breeder. Requires main ditch and lateral ditch parallel
to railroad embankment, with possible enlargement of culvert under rail-
road. Footage, 250 feet more or less. Cost of ditch work, $io.oo-$i5.oo.

31. Class D. Area, 3.2 acres. Clean main ditch (length 200 feet) and
ditch 1/150. Footage, 930. Cost: cleaning creek, $10.00; lateral ditches,
$23.25. Total, $33-20.

28 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 189.

32. Class D. Area, 6.5 acres. Hay good. Ditch 1/150. Footage, 1,880.
Cost, $47.00.

Black Hall River Marshes.
33- Class C, with B area as indicated. Area, 14.3 acres. Yields good
hay but could not be machine cut. Ditch, 1/150. Footage, 4,150. Cost,
$103.75.

34. Class B, with 50 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 89.4 acres. This
is one of the worst breeding areas encountered in the whole survey; cer-
tainly the worst in Lyme, not so much because of the percentage of breed-
ing surface as because it seems to breed regularly with every tide. In
rainy seasons such as the present it probably breeds as a Qass A area.
Hay almost worthless. Many of the dead ends on the eastern side require
i/ioo laterals as well as the cleaning of the central ditches into them.
Some parts of the area will require only 1/200 ditching but the average
will be 1/150. Footage, 25,930. Cost, $648.25.

35. Class E. Area, 6.5 acres. Excellent hay. Well ditched and largely
non-breeding but ditches should be cleaned.

36. Fresh marsh fed by sluggish stream. Area, 2.5 acres. Both marsh
and stream are potential malarial breeders on a considerable scale. The
ditching of the salt marsh at 34 and opening of main channel through
swamp portion would go a long way toward quickening the current in the
stream. The swamp should be ditched 1/150. Footage: main ditch, 350;
laterals, 720. Cost: main ditch, at 5 cents, $17.50; laterals, at 2j4 cents,
per foot, $18.00. Total, $37.50.

37. Class D. Area, 5.8 acres. Hay fair. Ditch 1/150. Footage, 1,680.
Cost, $42.00.

38. Class A. Area, 1.3 acres. No hay. Open drainage ditch along
railroad to Black Hall River at 39. Footage, 250, more or less. Cost,
$25.00. Laterals, 200 feet. Cost, $5.00. Total cost, $30.00.

39. Class C. Area, 6.5 acres. Hay crop fair, but the land is much cut
up by pools. Ditch 1/150. Footage, 1,880. Cost, $47.00.

40. Class B, 25 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 2.6 acres. Hay fair.
Ditch 1/150. Footage, 750. Cost, $18.75.

41. Down-stream, Class B, 25 per cent, breeding; up-stream, D. Area,
ii.o acres. Red top and black grass hay. Ditch, 1/180 including main
ditch into pocket which runs back to highway. Footage, 2,520. Cost,
$63.00.

42. Class D. Area, 32.4 acres (approximate). The upper portion of
this marsh is only slightly brackish and probably breeds fresh water as
well as salt water mosquitoes. Owing to its remoteness the upper portion
of this marsh could be neglected if funds for entire eradication measures

SURVEY OF TOWNS OF LYME AND OLD LYME. 29

were not forthcoming. Ditch, 1/200. Footage (approximate), 6,740. Cost
(roughly), $168.50.

43. Open alder swamp and peat bog. Probably a bad malarial breeder
but too remote to greatly affect settled portions of town. Open up course
of main stream.

44. Red maple swamp. Probably a semi-permanent breeder. Too
remote to be of especial consequence. Clean main channel into 42 and 43.

45. Class E. Area, 1.9 acres. Good non-breeding black grass marsh.
No treatment needed at present.

46. Class D. Area, 9.1 acres. Fair hay. Ditch 1/200 spacing irregu-
larly as required. Footage, 1,890. Cost, $47.25.

47. Class B, 50 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 14.9 acres. Hay fair.
Ditch i/ioo. Footage, 6,200. Cost, $155.00.

48. Class B, 25 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 1.9. acres. Open main
ditch and ditch i/ioo. Footage, 790. Cost, $19.75.

49. Class C. Outer portion Class E. Area, 6.5 acres. Hay good.
Ditch 1/150. Footage, 1,880. Cost, $47.00.

50. Brush swamp, a casual fresh water and malarial breeder. Open
outlet to salt marsh at 49. Partial overflow outlet already exists. Should
be lowered at least 2 feet. Cost, $15.00, more or less.

51. Pond hole. Potential malarial breeder on a large scale. A ditch
about 150 feet long carries overflow into 50. If this ditch were lowered
8 feet it would probably entirely drain this area. Cost, $50.00, more or
less.

52. Pond hole. Willows along border. Potential and malarial breeder
on considefable scale. Fill to depth of 3 feet and repair culvert under
railroad to carry off flood water. Requires 3,000 cubic yards, more or less,
of earth. Cost of moving earth, $300.00, more or less.

53. Wooded marsh. Potential wet weather breeder but rather remote
to be of much consequence. It might be advisable to spend $25.00, more
or less, to open up outlet in 48.

54. Class B, 10 per cent, breeding surface (average), but varies from
o to 100. Upper end cat-tail covered and Class E in character. Area,
29.2 acres. Ditch 1/200 average, but would require special spacing in
some cases. Footage, 6,100. Cost, $152.50.

55. Class B, 90 per cent, breeding surface. Area, i acre. No hay
grasses. Requires single main ditch, 2x3 feet, 130 feet long. Cost, at 5
cents per foot, is $6.50.

56. Class B, 25 per cent, breeding surface. Area, 3.2 acres. No value
for hay. Marginal and outlet ditch, 450 feet. Cost, $11.25.

30 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 189.

Shore Marshes.

57. Class B, so per cent, breeding surface. Area, 9.7 acres. Produced
only a poor sedge grass. Has good primary ditching sys'tem which requires
cleaning and addition of 1/150 lateral system. Footage, 2,800. Cost, $70.00.

58. Class B, 50 per cent, breeding surface. Area, i acre. Hay, poor
salt grass. Requires single main ditch 130 feet long. Cost, at 2^ cents
per foot, $3.25.

59. Class A. Area, i acre. No hay of any value. Requires 200 feet
main ditch, at 2j4 cents per foot, $5.00.

Note. The Class E area around the edges of the cove into which 58 and
59 drain is mostly wild rice and tidal flat and may be safely disregarded.

60. Fresh water swamp hole without an outlet. Breeds in wet seasons,
more or less. Treatment would be difficult and expensive.

61. Salt lagoon and marsh without outlet. Marsh is Class D. Area,
2.6 acres. Extreme tides break over the sand beach, fill lagoon and flood
the swamp. Drainage only by seepage. Fortunately swamp stands about
3 inches above what appears to be normal level of lagoon so that a ditching
system is possible. Central and i/ioo lateral ditches. Footage, 400. Cost,
$10.00.

62. Fresh water cat-tail swamp. Possibility of intensive breeding of
both salt and fresh water species. An outlet might be opened to the Sound
but it would be somewhat expensive to drain this area and it is doubtful
whether the ditch could be kept open any length of time. The most
satisfactory remedy would be to fill the swamp, but this also would be
quite expensive. It might be better to watch it carefully for a season to
determine fully its importance before doing anything with it.

63. Fresh water cat-tail swamp with small lagoon near lower end. It
might prove a serious fresh water and malarial mosquito br.ee'der. Two
remedies suggest themselves: (i) to restore the old outlet which leads
out at the eastern end, and (2) to dig out the bottom of the lagoon so as
to lower the water level enough to drain the swamp. Either would be
somewhat expensive and perhaps not worth while. It would take a special
and careful engineering estimate to arrive at the cost of either method.

64. Wooded marsh, apparently never much of a breeder and probably
can be safely disregarded.

65. Small fresh marsh probably of some local importance. Could be
filled for $100.00 or less. An outlet could also be opened to the Sound but
difficulty would be experienced in keeping it open.

66. Fresh water lagoon near, shore and wooded swamp in rear. Prob-
ably a fresh water breeding place of more than casual importance, but a
difficult area to treat. An outlet and a tide gate would have to be con-
structed to drain it and it would also be necessary to place bulkheads on

SURVEY OF TOWNS OF LYME AND OLD LYME. 3 1

each side of outlet channel in order to prevent tidal current from blocking
this outlet. It would require a careful and special estimate to arrive at
the cost of such measures. Probably it would be well to observe the area
carefully over a full season in order to determine its importance.

67. Mill Creek Salt Marsh. Class B, 30 per cent, breeding surface.
Area, 60.9 acres, below railroad tracks. Mostly sedge grass of little value
for hay. The outlet of this marsh is at present blocked by a wide sand
bar. It will be necessary first to remove this bar and second to construct
bulkheads on each side of the channel where it passes through the beach
to prevent it from again becoming blocked. These bulkheads should be
about 100 feet long and constructed of piles and 2-inch plank. The cost of
materials and labor would be about $250.00. The cost of removing the bar
at a very rough estimate would be $.300.00. The marsh itself should be
ditched 1/150. Footage, 12,700. Cost, $317.50. Total, $867.50.

Note. The upper portion of 67 is a fresh and wooded marsh but is so
remote as to be of almost no consequence and was not specifically
examined.

68. Lagoon surrounded by a Class D salt marsh. Upper end is a cat-
tail and 3-square grass marsh. Area of marsh, 19.4 acres. A tide gate in
good working condition controls water in lagoon. A 1/200 ditching system
should be installed with reference to the lagoon. Footage, 4,000. Cost,
$100.00.

69. Fresh water cat-tail marsh without outlet. Might breed extensively
in a wet season. Is now partly filled and work should be continued.

70. Wooded marsh, casual breeder but of no very great importance.

71. Small marsh area of little importance.

72. Two fresh water lagoons. Might breed slightly along edges and
in small marsh areas at upper ends.

73. Series of fresh water ■ pools back of railroad track potential
malarial breeders.

74. Small salt marsh along Four-Mile River above railroad track.
Apparently of minor importance and not examined specifically.

Summary of Costs for Lyme.
Fresh' water areas which were estimated separately .... $800.00

Acreage of salt and brackish marshes, Old Lyme i, 393-1

" " " " " " Lyme 492.5

Total east of Connecticut River 1,885.6

Footage of lateral ditch required 275,000

" " larger " " 200

32 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 189.

Cost of cleaning old ditches $ 250.00

" " lateral ditches 6,850.00

" " larger ditches 50.00

" " special work . . . ; 700.00

•,«■■-••

Total, cost for salt marshes east of river $7,850.00

Cost for Old Lyme only 7,600.00

^ Total cost for all areas estimated east of river . . $8,650.00
Cost for Old Lyme township only 8,400.00

Note. Costs rounded to nearest $50.00 for sake of convenience.

Average cost per acre for work on salt marshes in Old

Lyme township $5-50

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