SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 157 



CAPE FEAR RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES. 



The Cape Fear River is formed by the confluence of Haw and Deep 

 rivers, in Cliatliam County, North Carolina, at a distance, following the 

 river course, of over 200 miles from the sea. It is navigable for light- 

 draft steamers as far as Fayetteville, 145 miles from the ocean. By 

 means of locks and dams it was formerly navigable to the junction of 

 Haw and Deep rivers, but these aids have long since been abandoned. 

 From the sea to Fayetteville the slope is about 10 feet, whereas from 

 Fayetteville to the foot of Smiley Falls, a distance of 42 miles, the slope 

 is 35 feet. Below Smiley Falls there were formerly four dams, ranging 

 in height from 5 to 15 feet, but these have not been in existence for 

 many years. The lowest obstruction at present is Battle Dam, about 

 12 miles above Smiley Falls, built of wood, 11 feet high and 500 feet 

 long, extending directly across the river. Two miles farther up is 

 Buckhorn Dam, 3 or 4 feet high and about 1,000 feet long, which for- 

 merly backed the water up to the junction of Haw and Deep rivers, a 

 distance of 8 miles. Each of these dams is now in bad condition, being 

 broken down in several j)laces. Haw and Deep rivers, which form the 

 Cape Fear, rise in Guilford County, 80 miles above their conflueuce. 

 They are small streams, with considerable descent, averaging about 7 

 feet per mile each, and with numerous shoals and falls, which present 

 absolute barriers to the upward passage of shad. 



There are two distinct geographical sectious in the Cape Fear shad 

 fisheries: (1) The Wilmington section, from the mouth of the river to 

 the entrance of Black River, 15 miles above Wilmington, in which drift 

 nets exclusively are used; (2) thence to Smiley Falls, 42 miles above 

 Fayetteville, in which bow nets, drift nets, and seines are employed. 

 Each of these will be described separately. 



The Wilmington section. — The drift nets in the Wilmington section 

 are o^^erated from Deep Water Point to Dollison, 1^ miles below the 

 mouth of Black River. The length of those in the lower reaches ranges 

 from 150 to 425 yards each, the depth averaging 50 meshes, and the 

 size of mesh being 5:^ and 5J inches. The nets between Wilmington 

 and Dollison vary in length from 100 to 135 yards each; otherwise they 

 are similar to those operated below Wilmington. Occasionally a net is 

 used in one of the lower reaches during the early part of the season and 

 then cut in half and used as two nets in the upper reaches during the rest 

 of the season. About 20 short nets were drifted in Brunswick River in 

 1890. This river or thoroughfare is about 12 miles long, leaving the 

 Cape Fear River 4 miles above Wilmington and reentering it 4 or 5 

 miles below that city. The Brunswick nets are from 100 to 120 yards 

 in length, with a valuation of about $21 each. In ISTorth East River, a 

 tributary entering the Cape Fear at Wilmington, there are several nets 

 operated between the mouth and Three Cypresses, the men living 

 between Wilmington and Castle Hayne. These nets range in length 

 from 120 to 150 yards, the depth and mesh conforming to those on the 

 Cape Fear between Wilmington and Dollison. 



