﻿10 
  OYSTER 
  BOTTOMS 
  OF 
  LAVACA 
  BAY, 
  TEX. 
  

  

  These 
  various 
  types 
  of 
  bottom 
  are 
  shown 
  on 
  the 
  chart 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  

   circles, 
  the 
  relative 
  area 
  of 
  black 
  included 
  withm 
  them 
  mdicating 
  

   the 
  relative 
  degree 
  of 
  hardness, 
  as 
  follows: 
  Hard, 
  a 
  black 
  circle; 
  

   stiff, 
  a 
  black 
  semicircle; 
  soft, 
  a 
  black 
  quadrant; 
  very 
  soft, 
  two 
  cross- 
  

   ing 
  diameters; 
  ooze, 
  one 
  diameter. 
  

  

  The 
  bottoms 
  classed 
  as 
  hard 
  and 
  stiff, 
  those 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  plunger 
  

   will 
  not 
  penetrate 
  more 
  than 
  8 
  inches, 
  are 
  suitable 
  for 
  planting 
  

   without 
  preparation, 
  provided 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  composed 
  of 
  shifting 
  

   sand. 
  As 
  sand 
  invariably 
  gives 
  a 
  reading 
  of 
  less 
  than 
  4 
  inches, 
  and 
  

   is 
  therefore 
  rated 
  as 
  "hard," 
  it 
  follows 
  that 
  all 
  "stiff" 
  bottom 
  shown 
  

   on 
  the 
  chart 
  by 
  a 
  black 
  semicircle 
  can 
  be 
  accepted 
  as 
  safe 
  for 
  planting. 
  

   Part 
  of 
  the 
  hard 
  bottom 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  mud 
  and 
  part 
  of 
  sand. 
  The 
  

   former 
  may 
  be 
  accepted 
  without 
  hesitation, 
  but 
  the 
  latter 
  should 
  be 
  

   examined 
  with 
  respect 
  to 
  its 
  liability 
  to 
  shift. 
  Soft 
  bottom 
  should 
  be 
  

   planted 
  with 
  care, 
  and 
  toward 
  its 
  upper 
  or 
  less 
  consistent 
  limits 
  may 
  

   require 
  some 
  prehminary 
  hardening 
  with 
  shells 
  or 
  sand. 
  Very 
  soft 
  

   bottom 
  and 
  ooze 
  should 
  not 
  be 
  considered, 
  as 
  oysters 
  planted 
  there 
  

   will 
  sink, 
  and 
  if 
  not 
  killed, 
  as 
  is 
  probable, 
  will 
  be 
  ill-shaped 
  and 
  

   inferior 
  in 
  every 
  respect. 
  The 
  ratings 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  classification 
  is 
  

   based 
  have 
  been 
  checked 
  by 
  observation 
  on 
  bottoms 
  actually 
  used 
  

   for 
  oyster 
  culture 
  in 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay. 
  

  

  The 
  instrument 
  employed 
  has 
  been 
  thoroughly 
  tested 
  and 
  is 
  reU- 
  

   able 
  for 
  the 
  purposes 
  of 
  oyster 
  surveys, 
  but 
  there 
  may 
  be 
  errors 
  in 
  

   cases 
  where 
  hard 
  bottom 
  is 
  overlaid 
  by 
  several 
  inches 
  of 
  soft 
  mud 
  

   and 
  ooze. 
  Such 
  bottoms 
  are 
  always 
  readily 
  detected 
  by 
  probing 
  

   with 
  a 
  pole. 
  

  

  LAVACA 
  BAY. 
  

  

  Lavaca 
  Bay 
  is 
  the 
  northwest 
  arm 
  of 
  Matagorda 
  Bay 
  and, 
  exclusive 
  

   of 
  minor 
  bays, 
  covers 
  an 
  area 
  of 
  about 
  60 
  square 
  miles. 
  Its 
  greatest 
  

   width, 
  including 
  Kellers 
  Bay, 
  is 
  about 
  7 
  miles, 
  and 
  it 
  has 
  a 
  length, 
  

   from 
  Sand 
  Point 
  to 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  Garcitas 
  Bay, 
  of 
  about 
  12J 
  miles. 
  It 
  

   is 
  about 
  2 
  miles 
  wide 
  at 
  its 
  mouth, 
  but 
  the 
  effective 
  width 
  for 
  pur- 
  

   poses 
  of 
  navigation 
  is 
  much 
  reduced 
  by 
  bars 
  and 
  oyster 
  reefs. 
  The 
  

   mouth 
  is 
  about 
  15 
  miles 
  from 
  Pass 
  Cavallo, 
  the 
  entrance 
  from 
  the 
  

   Gulf 
  of 
  Mexico, 
  in 
  which 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  variable 
  depth 
  of 
  9 
  to 
  10 
  feet 
  on 
  

   the 
  bar. 
  Most 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  bay, 
  excluding 
  the 
  shore 
  

   waters 
  and 
  the 
  reefs, 
  is 
  from 
  7 
  to 
  9 
  feet 
  deep, 
  and 
  a 
  draft 
  of 
  about 
  7 
  

   feet 
  can 
  be 
  carried 
  at 
  low 
  water 
  tlu-ough 
  the 
  two 
  short 
  dredged 
  

   channels 
  and 
  to 
  within 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  of 
  Lavaca, 
  the 
  only 
  town 
  on 
  

   the 
  bay 
  and 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  industry 
  of 
  the 
  region. 
  The 
  

   upper 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  bay 
  has 
  an 
  average 
  depth 
  of 
  4 
  to 
  5 
  feet. 
  The 
  

   streams 
  tributary 
  are 
  Cavallo 
  River, 
  Garcitas 
  River, 
  Benado 
  Creek, 
  

   and 
  Lavaca 
  River, 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  latter 
  is 
  the 
  largest. 
  All 
  of 
  these 
  

   flow 
  into 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bay. 
  

  

  