﻿OYSTER 
  REGIONS 
  OF 
  APALACHICOLA 
  BAY, 
  ETC. 
  199 
  

  

  Point 
  and 
  St. 
  Vincent 
  Point. 
  The 
  northeast 
  extension 
  of 
  tlie 
  bay 
  is 
  

   called 
  East 
  Bay, 
  and 
  is 
  very 
  shallow. 
  It 
  is 
  unimportant 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  oyster 
  

   interests 
  are 
  concerned. 
  The 
  same 
  is 
  true 
  of 
  Shoal 
  Bayou 
  and 
  Alligator 
  

   Bayou, 
  the 
  latter 
  being 
  very 
  nearly 
  dry 
  at 
  low 
  water. 
  

  

  Apalachicola 
  Elver 
  enters 
  at 
  Apalachicola 
  and 
  furnishes 
  the 
  main 
  

   fresh-water 
  supply 
  to 
  the 
  bay. 
  The 
  shore 
  to 
  the 
  eastward, 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  

   East 
  Bay, 
  is 
  cut 
  up 
  by 
  the 
  different 
  nioutlis 
  of 
  the 
  Apalachicola 
  and 
  

   other 
  rivers. 
  It 
  was 
  noticed 
  that 
  the 
  north 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bay, 
  near 
  the 
  

   mouths 
  of 
  the 
  rivers, 
  had 
  shoaled 
  considerably 
  since 
  the 
  original 
  

   hydrographic 
  survey, 
  and 
  in 
  one 
  case, 
  noticeably, 
  there 
  had 
  been 
  an 
  

   increase 
  of 
  depth 
  in 
  a 
  locality 
  where 
  there 
  had 
  formerly 
  been 
  a 
  shoal 
  

   reef. 
  As 
  this 
  occurred 
  in 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bay 
  which 
  is 
  a 
  thoroughfare 
  

   for 
  vessels 
  bound 
  for 
  Carrabelle, 
  and 
  as 
  the 
  channel 
  was 
  not 
  known 
  

   previous 
  to 
  the 
  survey, 
  this 
  newly 
  discovered 
  channel 
  is 
  of 
  great 
  

   hydrographic 
  importance. 
  This 
  channel 
  is 
  about 
  li 
  miles 
  north 
  of 
  

   Cedar 
  Point 
  and 
  nearly 
  in 
  line 
  with 
  Cedar 
  Point 
  and 
  Cat 
  Point. 
  

   Through 
  it 
  8 
  feet 
  can 
  be 
  carried 
  at 
  mean 
  low 
  water, 
  which 
  is 
  half 
  a 
  

   foot 
  more 
  water 
  than 
  could 
  be 
  carried 
  by 
  the 
  buoyed 
  channel. 
  This 
  

   new 
  channel 
  should 
  undoubtedly 
  be 
  buoyed. 
  

  

  Many 
  other 
  changes 
  will 
  be 
  noticed 
  by 
  comparing 
  the 
  accompanying 
  

   map 
  with 
  the 
  Coast 
  Survey 
  chart. 
  This 
  map 
  may 
  be 
  used 
  with 
  the 
  

   greatest 
  confidence 
  by 
  the 
  navigator, 
  as 
  the 
  hydrographic 
  survey 
  was 
  

   carried 
  on 
  with 
  the 
  greatest 
  care 
  and 
  exactness. 
  

  

  Densities. 
  —The 
  observations 
  at 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  Apalachicola 
  River, 
  

   extending 
  over 
  a 
  i^eriod 
  of 
  two 
  months, 
  gave 
  an 
  average 
  density 
  of 
  

   1.0043 
  and 
  temperature 
  of 
  53° 
  ¥. 
  The 
  highest 
  temperature 
  was 
  02^ 
  F., 
  

   the 
  lowest 
  48° 
  F. 
  The 
  density 
  between 
  Apalachicola 
  and 
  Green 
  Point 
  

   (mean 
  of 
  295 
  observations) 
  was 
  1.0057 
  and 
  the 
  temperature 
  54°, 
  with 
  

   maximum 
  09° 
  and 
  minimum 
  32°. 
  At 
  a 
  position 
  1^ 
  miles 
  off 
  shore 
  from 
  

   the 
  latter 
  locality, 
  the 
  density 
  was 
  1.0106 
  and 
  temperature 
  53° 
  F., 
  with 
  

   maximum 
  57° 
  and 
  minimum 
  49°. 
  Other 
  densities 
  and 
  temperatures 
  are 
  

   shown 
  on 
  the 
  map, 
  but 
  are 
  not 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  such 
  extended 
  observations. 
  

  

  It 
  must 
  be 
  borne 
  in 
  mind 
  that, 
  as 
  the 
  survey 
  was 
  carried 
  on 
  dnring 
  

   the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Avinter 
  and 
  early 
  spring 
  months, 
  the 
  densities 
  and 
  

   temperatures 
  are, 
  of 
  course, 
  quite 
  difiereut 
  from 
  what 
  they 
  would 
  have 
  

   been 
  in 
  the 
  summer. 
  The 
  densities 
  jjrobably 
  show 
  a 
  maximum 
  fresh- 
  

   ness, 
  as 
  during 
  the 
  dry 
  summer 
  mcmths 
  they 
  would 
  show 
  a 
  maximum 
  

   saltness. 
  This 
  was 
  exemplified 
  by 
  the 
  long 
  series 
  of 
  observations 
  taken 
  

   during 
  the 
  survey, 
  the 
  difference 
  between 
  the 
  first 
  and 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  

   the 
  observations 
  being 
  very 
  marked. 
  For 
  days 
  during 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  

   of 
  the 
  survey 
  the 
  water 
  was 
  entirely 
  fresh. 
  

  

  An 
  apparent 
  discrepancy 
  exists 
  between 
  the 
  densities 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  

   southwest 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bay 
  and 
  the 
  others 
  near 
  the 
  source 
  of 
  fresh 
  water, 
  

   the 
  former 
  being 
  lower, 
  or 
  fresher, 
  than 
  the 
  latter. 
  This 
  is 
  accounted 
  

   for 
  by 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  during 
  the 
  time 
  the 
  oftshore 
  observations 
  were 
  

   taken, 
  the 
  water 
  at 
  the 
  north 
  shore 
  stations 
  was 
  perfectly 
  fresh. 
  As 
  

   before 
  stated, 
  there 
  was 
  only 
  a 
  short 
  series 
  of 
  observations 
  taken 
  at 
  the 
  

  

  