﻿22 
  

  

  OYSTEE 
  BOTTOMS 
  OF 
  LAVACA 
  BAY, 
  TEX. 
  

  

  To 
  the 
  east 
  of 
  Gallinipper 
  Point 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  small 
  lump 
  which 
  covers 
  

   about 
  55 
  acres 
  and 
  is 
  one-half 
  mile 
  long 
  by 
  200 
  yards 
  wide. 
  It 
  is 
  

   but 
  slightly 
  raised 
  above 
  the 
  general 
  bottom 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  bay, 
  except- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  central 
  and 
  southern 
  portions, 
  which 
  have 
  about 
  1 
  foot 
  ele- 
  

   vation. 
  Depth 
  of 
  water 
  is 
  6 
  to 
  7 
  feet. 
  

  

  The 
  quality 
  of 
  the 
  oysters 
  is 
  about 
  equal 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  those 
  found 
  on 
  

   the 
  near-by 
  reef, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  average 
  of 
  about 
  257 
  bushels 
  per 
  acre. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  in 
  this 
  immediate 
  vicinity 
  three 
  small 
  patches, 
  wliich 
  

   were 
  located 
  by 
  the 
  chain, 
  but 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  growth 
  

   was 
  not 
  determined. 
  The 
  area 
  of 
  these 
  patches 
  will 
  total 
  34 
  acres. 
  

  

  MITCHELL 
  POINT 
  REEF. 
  

  

  This 
  and 
  Galhnipper 
  Reef 
  form 
  practically 
  one 
  continuous 
  body 
  

   of 
  oysters 
  and 
  extend 
  almost 
  the 
  entire 
  distance 
  across 
  the 
  bay 
  from 
  

   Point 
  Comfort 
  to 
  Gallinipper 
  Point. 
  The 
  separation 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  

   reefs 
  at 
  the 
  channel 
  near 
  beacons 
  no. 
  3 
  and 
  no. 
  4 
  is 
  arbitrary, 
  as 
  

   there 
  is 
  no 
  interruption 
  of 
  oyster 
  growth 
  and 
  but 
  little 
  essential 
  

   difference 
  in 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  oysters 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  bottom. 
  

  

  The 
  reef 
  runs 
  in 
  a 
  north 
  and 
  south 
  direction 
  and 
  has 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  

   3 
  miles 
  with 
  an 
  average 
  width 
  of 
  500 
  yards. 
  At 
  the 
  northern 
  

   extremity 
  the 
  depth 
  of 
  water 
  varies 
  from 
  2 
  to 
  3^ 
  feet, 
  and 
  on 
  a 
  narrow 
  

   ridge 
  a 
  mile 
  long, 
  in 
  the 
  center, 
  the 
  depth 
  is 
  from 
  2 
  to 
  4 
  feet. 
  The 
  

   average 
  depth 
  for 
  the 
  remainder 
  is 
  about 
  6 
  feet. 
  The 
  entire 
  reef 
  is 
  

   elevated 
  approximately 
  1 
  foot 
  above 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  bay. 
  

  

  The 
  oysters 
  consist 
  largely 
  of 
  clusters, 
  with 
  some 
  singles. 
  It 
  is 
  

   fished 
  more 
  for 
  planting 
  purposes 
  than 
  for 
  the 
  market, 
  excepting 
  at 
  

   the 
  northern 
  border, 
  where 
  some 
  good 
  marketable 
  oysters 
  were 
  taken. 
  

   The 
  reef 
  has 
  never 
  been 
  depleted, 
  excepting 
  a 
  small 
  portion 
  on 
  the 
  

   northeast 
  side. 
  

  

  At 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  stations 
  from 
  1 
  to 
  6 
  mussels 
  were 
  found, 
  and 
  near 
  

   the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  reef 
  from 
  25 
  to 
  55 
  barnacles 
  were 
  noted 
  at 
  the 
  tong- 
  

   ing 
  stations. 
  

  

  The 
  general 
  conditions 
  on 
  this 
  bed 
  are 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  

   tables: 
  

  

  Oyster 
  Growth 
  on 
  Mitchell 
  Point 
  Reef. 
  

  

  