﻿OYSTER 
  BOTTOMS 
  OF 
  LAVACA 
  BAY, 
  TEX. 
  

  

  33 
  

  

  PATCHES 
  BETWEEN 
  BENADO 
  CREEK 
  AND 
  LAVACA 
  RIVER. 
  

  

  Between 
  Benado 
  Creek 
  and 
  Lavaca 
  River 
  there 
  are 
  seven 
  rather 
  

   small 
  patches 
  which 
  were 
  located 
  during 
  the 
  survey, 
  but 
  only 
  two 
  of 
  

   these 
  were 
  examined 
  in 
  detail. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  patch, 
  about 
  IJ 
  miles 
  southeast 
  of 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  Benado 
  

   Creek 
  and 
  700 
  yards 
  off 
  the 
  east 
  shore, 
  is 
  100 
  yards 
  wide 
  by 
  200 
  

   yards 
  long. 
  A 
  station 
  made 
  on 
  this 
  patch 
  revealed 
  a 
  hard 
  bottom 
  

   and 
  about 
  425 
  bushels 
  of 
  seed 
  and 
  754 
  bushels 
  of 
  market 
  oysters 
  per 
  

   acre, 
  the 
  depth 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  being 
  3 
  feet. 
  

  

  The 
  second 
  patch 
  examined 
  lies 
  one-third 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  

   first, 
  and 
  about 
  400 
  yards 
  off 
  the 
  east 
  shore. 
  It 
  is 
  somewhat 
  circu- 
  

   lar 
  in 
  outline, 
  but 
  with 
  a 
  projecting 
  arm 
  and 
  a 
  slight 
  indentation 
  on 
  

   the 
  eastern 
  margin. 
  The 
  diameter 
  is 
  approximately 
  300 
  yards 
  and 
  

   the 
  depth 
  of 
  water 
  3 
  feet. 
  

  

  An 
  examination 
  of 
  this 
  patch 
  showed 
  about 
  443 
  bushels 
  of 
  small 
  

   oysters 
  and 
  578 
  bushels 
  of 
  large 
  ones 
  per 
  acre. 
  On 
  both 
  patches 
  the 
  

   oysters 
  are 
  larger 
  than 
  on 
  the 
  lumps 
  to 
  the 
  westward, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  

   fished 
  but 
  little. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  a 
  fringe 
  of 
  oysters 
  covering 
  upward 
  of 
  100 
  acres 
  along 
  

   shore 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  Lavaca 
  River, 
  but 
  no 
  detailed 
  examina- 
  

   tion 
  was 
  made. 
  

  

  Oyster 
  Growth 
  on 
  Patches 
  between 
  Benado 
  Creek 
  and 
  Lavaca 
  River, 
  

  

  Details 
  of 
  Examination 
  of 
  Patches 
  between 
  Benado 
  Creek 
  and 
  Lavaca 
  

  

  River. 
  

  

  REVIEW 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATURAL 
  OYSTER 
  BEDS. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  total 
  area 
  of 
  Lavaca 
  Bay, 
  about 
  one-sixth, 
  6,853 
  acres, 
  or 
  

   10.7 
  square 
  miles, 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  oyster 
  growth. 
  In 
  the 
  lower 
  half 
  

   of 
  the 
  bay 
  the 
  beds, 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  some 
  insignificant 
  patches, 
  

   are 
  all 
  east 
  of 
  a 
  line 
  joining 
  Gallinipper 
  Point 
  and 
  Point 
  Comfort. 
  

  

  