﻿OYSTER 
  BOTTOMS 
  OP 
  LAVACA 
  BAY, 
  TEX. 
  13 
  

  

  Details 
  op 
  Examination 
  of 
  Lumps 
  Northeast 
  of 
  Sand 
  Point 
  Reef. 
  

  

  MIDDLE 
  GROUND 
  REEF. 
  

  

  This 
  lies 
  at 
  the 
  entrance 
  of 
  Lavaca 
  Bay 
  and 
  extends 
  from 
  near 
  the 
  

   western 
  shore 
  Une 
  in 
  a 
  northerly 
  direction 
  for 
  approximately 
  1| 
  miles, 
  

   with 
  an 
  average 
  width 
  of 
  about 
  one-fourth 
  mile. 
  The 
  upper 
  half 
  

   of 
  the 
  reef 
  broadens 
  toward 
  the 
  east 
  and 
  merges 
  with 
  Sand 
  Point 
  

   Reef, 
  the 
  arbitrary 
  line 
  of 
  demarcation 
  used 
  in 
  this 
  report 
  being 
  the 
  

   strip 
  of 
  deep 
  water 
  running 
  toward 
  the 
  northeast. 
  The 
  greatest 
  

   depth 
  found 
  in 
  tonging 
  on 
  this 
  reef 
  was 
  8^ 
  feet 
  at 
  the 
  extreme 
  western 
  

   point 
  and 
  the 
  least 
  was 
  3^ 
  feet 
  near 
  the 
  beacons. 
  There 
  are, 
  however, 
  

   a 
  number 
  of 
  depressions 
  along 
  the 
  eastern 
  border 
  with 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  

   10 
  to 
  13^ 
  feet, 
  and 
  the 
  dredged 
  channel 
  marked 
  by 
  beacons 
  no. 
  1 
  and 
  

   no. 
  2 
  has 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  7 
  feet. 
  The 
  material 
  dug 
  from 
  this 
  channel 
  was 
  

   thrown 
  to 
  the 
  westward 
  of 
  the 
  beacons 
  and 
  becomes 
  exposed 
  during 
  

   low 
  tides. 
  The 
  extent 
  and 
  general 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  are 
  shown 
  in 
  

   the 
  following 
  table: 
  

  

  Oyster 
  Growth 
  on 
  Middle 
  Ground 
  Reef. 
  

  

  With 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  a 
  comparatively 
  small 
  area 
  of 
  scattering 
  

   oysters 
  near 
  the 
  northeast 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  adjoining 
  Sand 
  Point 
  

   Reef, 
  the 
  entire 
  reef 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  dense 
  growth, 
  which 
  in 
  some 
  

   places 
  amounts 
  to 
  nearly 
  4,900 
  bushels 
  per 
  acre, 
  about 
  equally 
  

   divided 
  between 
  small 
  and 
  adults. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  probable 
  that 
  this 
  ex- 
  

   traordinary 
  denseness 
  of 
  growth 
  obtains 
  over 
  a 
  very 
  wide 
  area, 
  but 
  

   there 
  are 
  many 
  places 
  on 
  which 
  there 
  are 
  in 
  excess 
  of 
  2,500 
  bushels 
  

   per 
  acre. 
  As 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  expected 
  under 
  such 
  conditions, 
  the 
  oysters 
  are 
  

   clustered 
  and 
  rough, 
  and 
  in 
  quality 
  they 
  are 
  generally 
  inferior 
  to 
  

  

  