29 



(Jrand Bayou ^•«/(', wliii-h opens into Lake Pelto, about one 

 mile to the east of the mouth of the bayou last mentioned, is 

 about 150 yards wide for a distance of about one mile from its 

 mouth. The channel is from twelve to twenty feet deep and in 

 most places very narrow. Above the point where a small bayou 

 connects Little and Grand Bayous Sale, tiie water in the latter 

 is deep clear to the baniis. The bottom in the channel is com- 

 posed of firm mud; but the shallow flats are very soft. No 

 natural reefs were found in this bayou, and the greater part 

 of the naturally available bottom has been taken up for bedding 

 grounds. 



The salinity of the water was 1.0158. The amount of oyster 

 food in the water was large. 



In Bayou Blanc, and in the other bayous between Grand 

 Bayou Sale and Bay St. Ilelene, there are no natural oyster reefs 

 of any commercial importance, and the firm areas have been 

 mostly taken up for bedding grounds. The salinity of the water 

 and the richness of the food supply were very similar to those in 

 Grand Bayou Sale. 



From the northeast corner of Lake Pelto there is a series of 

 bays connected by deep passes, or bayous, extending to the north- 

 ward for some eight or ten miles. The first of these bays. Bay 

 St. Helens, opens into Lake Pelto by two narrow passes. In the 

 southern part of the bay near these passes the water is from 

 six to ten feet deep; but in the north and east portions the 

 depth is about three and one-half feet. Over the greater part 

 01 the southern arm of the bay the bottom is hard and has 

 apparently been occupied by natural reefs, although at the 

 present time the greater part of this area is under lease. In 

 the central part of the bay there is a large hard area formerly 

 occupied by a natural reef. In the eastern extremity of the 

 bay there are a number of old reefs, most of them covering only 

 a small area, however. Over practically all of the bottom out- 

 side of the bardened areas already mentioned the surface is very 

 soft ; but there are very few places where the mud is very deep. 

 The water in this bay is veiy salty for this section, the 

 average salinity being 1.0186. The food organisms are fairly 

 abundant; but less numerous than in the bodies of water farther 

 up in the marsh. 



