^ 



20 



The luany bayous and lakes in the nuilh side of Marsli 

 Ishiiul are exposed to the pei-iodic tioodings with fivsli water 

 from the Atehafalaya, and as a rt'sult of the fresh(>t <d' llir past 

 .spriiiii' all of the oysters iu them were killed. 



Ill the southwestern arm of the bay the effect of freshets 

 is less noticeable than in most other pa-rts. Large aiH>n:s of hard 

 bottom suitable for the reception of shell or- seed oysters aiv^ 

 found here, and as the food and salinity conditions are favorable 

 it aifords one of the best locations for planting purpi ses. 



That the conditions which prevailed in these waters during 

 the past spring and early summer were unusually severe, is 

 shown by the fact that up to the beginning of this protracted vy/" 

 period of fresh water, adult oysters several years of age '^^■''^''' V^ 

 to be found in most parts of the bay©^ and in many jiUtees-m^ 

 the upper part of the bay. The presence of large oysters in 

 these places would show that for some years {)revious to 11)05 

 the freshets had not been sc^vere enough to destroy the oysters 

 iu places where the full elfeet of the lowered salinity would 

 be felt. 



In Southwest Pass the area of bottom available for planting' 

 oysters is very small and everywhere composed of soft mud, so 

 that artificial hardening would have to be resorted to in oi-der to 

 •establish a bed. 



In the open gulf, on both sides of Soutiiwesr Pass, there 

 are large areas of bottom that offer exceptionally good condi- 

 tions for planting. 



Beginning at the bordei- of the reef at the west side of the 

 entrance to the pass there is an area of firm bottom, consisting 

 of a substratum of clay, covered with two or three in.-hc,-! of 

 soft mud, that extends for six or seven miles along the sl'on . 

 The condition of the bottom is practically the same foi- a pniod ' 

 of three miles off shore, while the depth of water is luuvhere 

 over twelve feet. The salinity and food conditions ov-'-- tin's 

 bottom were found to be essentially the same as those at Litllc 

 Hills reef, which lies within the limits of the area uuder dis- 

 cussion, and which, for many years, has produced sotiu- )!' r!>e 

 best oysters found in these waters. The firmness of thi- l)i.^1(,]ii 

 nakes it directly available for planting without any prelimi- 

 nary hardening. The presence of natural reefs within, or on 



