state or private funds for re-establishing reefs in areas where there 

 exists the possibility of their being destroyed in 1 or 5 years ty 

 further disturbances in the environment? In the Congressional hear- 

 ings concerning the mortalities of 1945, there were many opinions 

 expressed as to whether or not the action of these flood waters was 

 a natural catastrophe or one caused by the construction of the spill- 

 way and various levees and dams. The fact exists that flood waters 

 naturally occur periodically every five years or so, and vdiether they 

 spill over through man^aade channels , are diverted by man-made dame 

 and levees, or flow through natural breaks in the system of waterways, 

 they are going to cause damage. If flood waters are high enough, they 

 cannot escape in the delta area without flowing over oyster reefs. 

 The magnitude of the flood waters and the time of the year in which 

 they occur are governed purely by natural laws, and it is these two 

 factors which will determine the extent of damage to the oyster reefs. 



Oyster mortalities have been recorded in the past and they will 

 occur in these areas in the future. It is of interest and relevant 

 to quote at this point from a publication by L. R. Gary. Writing 

 in some detail concerning the biological aspects of the oyster 

 industry of Louisiana in 1907, he said: 



"In the greater part of the oyster producing area of this state, 

 the most damaging destructive agent is the fresh water which 

 from time to time breaks away from natural restraints and for 

 a greater or less period of time makes the water over the beds 

 so fresh that the oysters are either killed outright, or made 

 so poor that they are useless for market for some time. The 

 destruction from the spring freshet is of pretty regular 

 occurrence, more or less damage being done in some part of 

 the state each year, and large areas of oyster producing 

 bottom are periodically denuded of their growth." 



This statement is just as true today as it was at the turn of the 

 century . 



The oyeterman must place his beds in those locations least likely 

 to be damaged by the average flood waters. To spend money on reefs 

 situated near likely exits for flood waters, no matter how good an 

 environment it is for oysters in "normal" years, is biologically and 

 economically unsound. 



A review of the history of floods in these areas during the 

 past 50 years, in conjunction with the present status of the reefs, 

 suggests the following recommendations: 



1. The west end of Mississippi Sound is periodiceilly subject 

 to floods which have emerged through natural and man-^uade crevasses. 

 Area I, vdiich contains the major oyster producing bars of Mississippi, 



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