The Productivity of Fish Food in Oneida Lake 33 



of 15 feet occurs. Farther east, between Norcross Point and 

 Dunham Island, a depth of 19 feet is reached. The deepening 

 continues gradually eastward in the lake until the maximum 

 (55 feet) is reached off Cleveland. 



Description of Characteristic Bottom Areas 



The basin of Lower South Bay may be divided into five 

 areas, the distinctions being based on the character of the 

 material forming the bottom of the bay. These are boulder, 

 gravel, sand, clay, and black mud. 



Boulder and Gravel Areas. Boulder and gravel areas are 

 confined to the points and to the more exposed shores where 

 the full force of the waves has carried away the sand and 

 finer material. The gravelly areas usually lie just outside the 

 boulder territory. In size the stony areas, including both gravel 

 and boulders, which are often so closely associated as to be 

 almost inseparable in large areas, range from gravel stones a 

 half inch or less in diameter to boulders several feet in greatest 

 diameter. The stony bottom visually extends to a depth of four 

 feet but in several places it was noted at a depth of 5 and 6 

 feet and at a distance of about a thousand feet from the shore. 

 The largest boulder deposit occurs at the end of Long Point 

 where it extends upwards of 1,000 feet into the lake and has 

 an area of some 370,000 square feet. An area of boulders at 

 the end of Short Point is estimated to cover about 200,000 

 square feet. Other small gravel and boulder territory, on 

 shoals and bordering points, make a total estimated area of 

 20 acres. 



Outside the bay proper, there is a large area of boulder 

 shore, extending from Norcross Point eastward along the 

 south shore of Oneida Lake. This territory is upwards of 

 3,600 feet long and from 100 to 250 feet wide and embraces 

 an area of about 740,000 square feet, or 17 acres. The boul- 

 ders here extend to a depth of six feet. Several hundred feet 

 north of the boulder shore, between the main land and Dunham 

 Island, there is an area of gravel and sandy mud at a depth of 

 15 feet, which extends east and west for a distance of 1,400 

 2 



