﻿34 
  

  

  OYSTER 
  BOTTOMS 
  OF 
  LAVACA 
  BAY, 
  TEX. 
  

  

  Wliy 
  the 
  western 
  third 
  of 
  this 
  region 
  should 
  be 
  barren 
  while 
  the 
  

   remainder 
  is 
  covered 
  by 
  extensive 
  and 
  prolific 
  beds 
  was 
  not 
  deter- 
  

   mined 
  by 
  the 
  survey. 
  The 
  beds 
  are 
  practically 
  continuous 
  and 
  in 
  

   many 
  cases 
  the 
  lines 
  of 
  demarcation 
  between 
  them 
  are 
  arbitrarily 
  

   assumed 
  for 
  the 
  purposes 
  of 
  this 
  report. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bay, 
  above 
  the 
  line 
  between 
  Noble 
  Point 
  

   and 
  Point 
  Comfort, 
  the 
  beds 
  are 
  smaller 
  and 
  more 
  generally 
  distribu- 
  

   ted, 
  although 
  somewhat 
  more 
  numerous 
  in 
  the 
  western 
  half. 
  So 
  

   far 
  as 
  the 
  quality 
  of 
  the 
  oysters 
  is 
  concerned, 
  their 
  flavor, 
  condition, 
  

   and 
  to 
  some 
  extent 
  their 
  shape, 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  bay 
  were 
  the 
  

   better 
  during 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  survey 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  this 
  is 
  

   true 
  at 
  most 
  times. 
  

  

  In 
  respect 
  to 
  the 
  imif 
  orm 
  prolificness 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  as 
  a 
  whole, 
  

   Lavaca 
  Bay 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  remarkable 
  region 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  surveyed 
  

   by 
  the 
  Bureau. 
  Not 
  less 
  than 
  91 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  the 
  total 
  area 
  of 
  oyster 
  

   bottom 
  is 
  classed 
  as 
  dense 
  growth, 
  5 
  per 
  cent 
  as 
  scattering, 
  a 
  little 
  

   over 
  2 
  per 
  cent 
  as 
  very 
  scattering, 
  and 
  a 
  little 
  less 
  than 
  2 
  per 
  cent 
  as 
  

   so-called 
  depleted 
  bottom. 
  It 
  appears 
  as 
  if 
  the 
  bottom 
  must 
  spring 
  

   into 
  great 
  productivity 
  very 
  soon 
  after 
  it 
  begins 
  to 
  bear 
  oysters 
  at 
  

   all, 
  and 
  the 
  large 
  areas 
  of 
  sparsely 
  productive 
  bottom 
  usually 
  found 
  

   in 
  oyster-producing 
  regions 
  are 
  lacking. 
  

  

  A 
  glance 
  at 
  the 
  chart 
  accompanying 
  this 
  report 
  will 
  show 
  this, 
  and 
  

   it 
  is 
  also 
  exhibited 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  table 
  which 
  shows 
  the 
  acreage 
  

   of 
  each 
  class 
  of 
  growth 
  for 
  each 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  beds 
  and 
  for 
  groups 
  of 
  

   the 
  smaller 
  patches. 
  

  

  Summarized 
  Statement 
  of 
  Areas 
  of 
  Market 
  Oysters 
  on 
  Public 
  Beds. 
  

  

  Name 
  of 
  bed. 
  

  

  Sand 
  Point 
  Reef 
  

  

  Lumps 
  northeast 
  of 
  Sand 
  Point 
  Reef 
  

  

  Middle 
  (Iround 
  Reef 
  

  

  Old 
  Town 
  Bed 
  

  

  Lumps 
  south 
  of 
  Old 
  Town 
  Bed 
  

  

  Bed 
  north 
  of 
  Middle 
  Ground 
  

  

  KeUers 
  Bod 
  

  

  Rhodes 
  Point 
  Reef 
  

  

  Cox 
  Bed 
  

  

  Lumps 
  east 
  of 
  Cox 
  Bed 
  

  

  Gallinipper 
  Reef 
  

  

  Mitchell 
  Point 
  Reef 
  

  

  Point 
  Comfort 
  Beds 
  

  

  Lap 
  Reef 
  

  

  Chicken 
  Reef 
  

  

  Northwest 
  of 
  Lap 
  Reef 
  

  

  Chain 
  Beds 
  

  

  Hoppe 
  Lump 
  

  

  Half 
  Moon 
  Reef 
  

  

  Long 
  Reef 
  

  

  Patches 
  near 
  Gar 
  Signal 
  

  

  Benado 
  Creek 
  Reef 
  

  

  Between 
  Benado 
  Creek 
  and 
  Lavaca 
  River. 
  

  

  Total 
  

  

  Character 
  of 
  oyster 
  growth. 
  

  

  Dense. 
  

  

  Acres. 
  

  

  78 
  

  

  5 
  

  

  444 
  

  

  328 
  

  

  14 
  

  

  173 
  

  

  1,275 
  

  

  1,093 
  

  

  1,177 
  

  

  3 
  

  

  329 
  

  

  532 
  

  

  116 
  

  

  194 
  

  

  88 
  

  

  79 
  

  

  94 
  

  

  41 
  

  

  33 
  

  

  64 
  

  

  5 
  

  

  39 
  

  

  6, 
  226 
  

  

  Scatter- 
  

   ing. 
  

  

  Acres. 
  

  

  28 
  

  

  29 
  

  

  345 
  

  

  Very 
  

   scatter- 
  

   ing. 
  

  

  Acres. 
  

   20 
  

   67 
  

  

  19 
  

  

  De- 
  

   pleted. 
  

  

  Acres. 
  

   62 
  

  

  119 
  

  

  Total. 
  

  

  Acres. 
  

  

  169 
  

  

  72 
  

  

  472 
  

  

  328 
  

  

  14 
  

  

  173 
  

  

  1,287 
  

  

  1,217 
  

  

  1,177 
  

  

  34 
  

  

  361 
  

  

  590 
  

  

  126 
  

  

  241 
  

  

  160 
  

  

  79 
  

  

  123 
  

  

  41 
  

  

  33 
  

  

  64 
  

  

  5 
  

  

  74 
  

  

  22 
  

  

  6,853 
  

  

  