14 - OYSTER BOTTOMS IN VICINITY OF APALACHICOLA, FLA. 
St. Vincent Sound, a rather shallow body of water, is the western 
extension of Apalachicola Bay. Beginning with the line between 
Green and St. Vincent Points it reaches to Indian Pass, a distance of, 
approximately, 94 miles. Its width at the eastern end is about 3. 
miles, and it gradually tapers toward the west until it is about three- 
fourths mile in width. It has an approximate area of 18 square miles. 
With the exception of the shallow water along the shore, the eastern 
third of the sound generally has a soft bottom; the central section 
contains the greater number of oyster bars; while the western section 
though practically devoid of large oyster bars, has a hard or shell- 
gravel bottom. The sound receives no fresh water other than the 
surface drainage of the adjacent lands and that coming indirectly 
from the Apalachicola, St. Marks, and other affluents of East Bay. 
The greatest depth recorded in St. George Sound was 35 feet; in 
Apalachicola Bay 13 feet, excepting in dredged channels; in St. Vin- 
cent Sound 33 feet; West Pass 55 feet; and Indian Pass 20 feet. 
On the bar beyond Indian Pass a depth of 63 feet was found. 
The area surveyed embraces, approximately, 130 square miles, of 
which about 119 square miles consisted of barren bottoms and 11.1 
square miles comprised the oyster bars and reefs. The total length 
of the sounds and bay is about 30 miles and the average width about 
4.4 miles. 
During the progress of the survey 35,549 soundings were made over 
a distance of 666.1 miles, and 3,492 sextant angles determined the 
various positions of the boat. Observations by means of the chain 
were made constantly throughout the entire distance run by the 
sounding boat, the oysters were tonged up, examined, and counted 
at 577 places, and the barren bottoms were tested at 729 stations. 
DESCRIPTION OF NATURAL BEDS. 
1. GOOSE ISLAND BAR (ST. GEORGE SOUND). 
This, the easternmost oyster bar of St. George Sound, is located 
along the southern border of the sound in the vicinity of Goose Island. 
Its length, in an east and west direction, is about 1 mile, the average 
width is nearly one-fourth mile, and the area is about 150 acres. It 
is directly connected with Silvia Bar by a narrow neck of dense 
oysters having a width of approximately 150 yards. . 
The bar lies in rather shallow water, ranging from 24 to 54 feet in 
depth, and, with the exception of both the east and west extremities, 
is but isthe elevated above the general level of the sound. The 
bottom, for the most part, is composed of firm hard sand. The area, 
condition of growth, and estimated content of this bar are shown in 
the following tables: 
