17 



water in the channel varies from twelve to thirty feet, and 

 there are extensive mud tiats on either side for the greater part 

 of the length of the bayou. There are extensive oyster reefs, 

 both along the sides of the bayou and in the channel down to 

 a depth of twenty-eight feet. The reefs in the deeper water 

 have never been worked to any extent until within the past two 

 years, and there is an abundance of large fine oysters on them. 

 The oysters on the reefs in the shallower water are also of good 

 size and in excellent condition during the fishing sea.jon. The 

 bottom in the deep channel of the bayou is quite firm, while 

 in the shallow portions it is composed of soft mud, except where 

 it has been hardened by the formation of an oyster r( ef. The 

 salinity of the water was 1.012, and the supply of food organ- 

 isms abundant. 



Sister Lake (Lake Caillou of the Government charts), in- 

 cluding with this body of water the small lakes and bays on 

 the north side of Bayou Grand Caillou, contains the most im- 

 portant natural oyster reefs in the Parish of Terrebonne. In- 

 eluding the smaller bodies of water just mentioned, this lake is 

 roughly circular in outline and some five miles across. There 

 are many small passes connecting this lake with Bayou Grand 

 Caillou, between the southwest corner of the lake and ]\Iile Pass 

 at the northeast end. On the north side of the lake there is a 

 pass to Little Bayou du Large and some small bayous connect- 

 ing it with King Lake. 



The water over the greater part of this lake varies from 

 four to six feet in depth, but in the southwestern part the aver- 

 age depth is not more than three feet. 



There are extensive oyster reefs all along the southwestern 

 shore in the shallow portion of the lake, and a large, almost 

 continuous, reef running from the deep pass into Bayou Grand 

 Caillou to the point just south of the entrance to Grand Baj^ou 

 du Large. There are reefs along the south and southeastern 

 shores and a rather large reef in five feet of water off the en- 

 trance to Mile Pass. The oysters on the reefs in the shallow 

 part of the lake are all rather small, but of fairly good shape 

 and condition. On the reefs farther out in the lake the oysters 

 grow in crowded clusters and are thin and misshapened. The 

 best marketable oysters are found in some of the smaller bays and 



