160 Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners 



and Monie Bay, which was covered with oysters in 1878, as 

 taken from Winslow's Report, is about 2,208 acres. The total 

 area in the same territory in 1907 is 1,096 acres. 



The bottom on the principal part of Halls bar and a small 

 part of Evans bar is composed of sand or a mixture of sand 

 with mud and is hard. Soft muddy bottoms occur on the 

 greater part of Evans bar, on all of Rock Creek bar and on the 

 outer and upper parts of Halls bar. Oysters grow in patches 

 or "lumps" on the muddy portions of the bars, a continuous 

 growth of oysters being confined to the hard bottoms. 



The average depth of water over Halls bar is about 14 feet, 

 6-10 feet being found over the inner boundary, 19 feet over the 

 lower end near Haines bar and 15 feet over the outer 

 limits. Rock Creek bar is covered with water 10 to 13 feet and 

 Evans bar with water 7 to 9 feet at its inner boundary and from 

 12 to 20 feet in the channel forming its outer boundary. The 

 average depth over Evans bar, however, is not more than 12 

 feet. 



The densities of the water over the oyster bars observed 

 during the survey (September 6 to 13) are given in the table 

 below. 



A wide variation in the density of the water of Nanticoke 

 Sound probably takes place during the year, due to the fact that 

 the Nanticoke and Wicomico Rivers flow directly into it. 



Maximum Tempera- Minimum Tempera- 

 Density, ture. Density. ture. 



Halls 1.0108 76 1.009 77 



Rock Creek 1.0093 77 1.0092 78 



Evans 1.009 74 1.0082 74 



The mean rise and fall of the tide in Nanticoke Sound was 

 found to be about 2.5 feet, with a maximum rise and fall of 

 about 3.5 feet. Currents were observed to run with a velocity 

 of .77 mile per hour over Evans bar. 



No crabbing grounds were found in Nanticoke Sound and no 

 ground has been leased for the purposes of oyster culture. There 

 are about 100 acres of barren bottom off the mouth of Rock 

 Creek which might be made productive. 



