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prevails, but there is more or less of sand near the mouth, and hard mud and sticky bottom 

 near the head. Very few oysters are now found in this creek, but they are of a fine quality. 

 There are a few scattered oysters and dead shells over the upper half of the creek, but they 

 have not been considered thick enough to be indicated on the chart. There is every indica- 

 tion here that excessive fishing has almost depleted a once valuable bed of oysters. An over- 

 flow from the Savannah River for any length of time would endanger the lives of oysters in 

 this creek. Otherwise it presents many very favorable features for oyster culture. The total 

 area is 180 acres. Area of natural oyster beds, 2 acres. 



Shad River. — This narrow and winding stream connects with Tybee River about four 

 miles from its mouth, trends southward and eastward through the marshes of Wilmington 

 Island, divides into two branches, and joins again about one-half mile before re-connecting 

 with Tybee River, about 2 miles from its mouth. It is about 4 miles in length, and 

 averages about 150 yards in width. The bottom is generally soft mud, but contains spots of 

 sand and sticky bottom, particularly toward the northern end. The depth of water ranges 

 from 6 to 25 feet. Very few oysters were found except those which were planted near the 

 northern end by Dr. A. Oemler, specimens of which proved the ground to be very desirable 

 for oyster propagation. 



Specific gravity. — Through the kindness of Dr. Oemler, who resides one-half mile from the 

 northern end of Shad River, I was enabled to get a series of density observations at that 

 point. Three specimens of water were taken daily, with few exceptions, at 8 A. M., noon, and 

 4 P. M. These observations, 192 in number, were commenced on the 12th of October, 1889, and 

 ended on the 6th of December, 1889. The mean of all the observations is 1. 0163; the lowest 

 observed is 1.0102, and the highest, 1.0208. From a study of these observations it will be seen 

 that the change of density is not large, and is dependent upon the tide, the flood increasing" 

 and the ebb decreasing the density. It will also be observed that the force and direction of 

 the wind modify somewhat the density, the easterly wind increasing and the westerly wind 

 decreasing it. So far as concerns the specific gravity of the water with reference to oyster 

 culture, the conditions of Shad River leave nothing more to be desired. Again, it would not 

 be very expensive to regulate the amount of fresh water entering Shad River from Tybee 

 River. The flavor of the oysters grown in this vicinity is highly spoken of in Savannah, 

 where a ready market is found for them. The total area of Shad River is 350 acres. 



Wilmington River. — This River enters Wassaw Sound at its southern and western side. 

 For the first 8 miles it has a general northwest direction to the village of Thunderbolt, which 

 is the oyster depot of Savannah. For the first 5 miles it lies between Wilmington Island on 

 the north and east, and Skiddaway Island on the south and west, and has an average width of 

 half a mile. It then narrows to one-fourth of a mile, running about 3 miles with this 

 width to Thunderbolt. Beyond this, connecting with the Savannah River, it is too fresh for 

 the propagation of oysters. The depth of water for the greater part of this river lies between 

 20 and 40 feet. The bottom is variable, there being several long strips of soft mud where 

 deposits are constantly taking place. These are particularly noticeable in the shoal waters 

 and near the marsh. Above the three small islands called The Sisters, the bottom is generally 

 soft mud, but the deepest part of the channel is a little sticky. Below The Sisters, and in the 

 water deeper than 12 feet, as a rule, it will be found to be hard bottom, some sticky mud and 

 some sand with mud; also toward the mouth some hard sand. More or less mud is brought 

 out of the marshes by the first of the ebb, and is deposited in the river, particularly at eddies 

 and at shoal turns in the river. Along the wooded portions of Wilmington Island the left 

 bank is washing away, and hence oysters should not be planted very near this shore. A few 

 natural beds were found in this river, principally between Thunderbolt and Turner's Rock, 

 but they are of no consequence, having been about exterminated by excessive fishing, being 

 so near the oyster market. It is believed that oysters can be grown successfully in the major 

 portion of this river, especially in the deep and harder bottom from Turner's Rock to the 

 mouth. 



