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The currents are strong, and are produced by the tides combined with the outflow of the 

 river, and influenced to some extent by the force and direction of the wind. The mean rise 

 and fall of the tide at the mouth of the Savannah River is about 7 feet. The area of natural 

 oyster beds at the mouth of the Savannah River is about 80 acres, but of this area at least one- 

 half will be found to be dead shells. 



Wassaw Sound. — This sound lies between Tybee Island on the north, and Wassaw Island 

 on the south. It is 2 miles in width at its mouth, and only extends that distance inland to 

 Cabbage Island. With the exception of the deep channel leading into Tybee River on the 

 north, and the Wilmington River on the south, it is for the most part very shoal, and the bot- 

 tom is generally shifting sand. The adjacent shores are nearly all marshy, and along 

 Cabbage Island shore there is a narrow streak of the so-called raccoon oysters and many dead 

 shells. No part of this sound is suitable for oyster cultivation. Besides being exposed to the 

 heavy seas, the shoal water, and the shifting bottom, the water itself is entirely too salt. The 

 currents are those produced by the rise and fall of the tides, which are augmented by the 

 northeast winds. 



Tybee River. — Tybee River is about 7 miles in length, and is formed by the junction of St. 

 Augustine Creek and Turner's Creek. It enters Wassaw Sound on its northern side, has a 

 general direction of north for the first three miles from its mouth, and an average width of 

 one-fourth of a mile. It separates Tybee Island on the east from Wilmington Island on the 

 west, bending to the northwestward, and narrowing to about one-eighth of a mile; it then 

 separates Wilmington Island from McQueen's Island. The depth of the water over the major 

 part ranges from 20 to 40 feet. The bottom is for the most part soft mud, but in the deepest 

 part of the stream, and where the current is strongest, it is sticky and sometimes hard. 

 Scattered along the borders of the marshes, and partly above low water, the total area of 

 oysters in this river is 39 acres. Atone point only do they extend across the stream, and are 

 there found in water as deep as 30 feet. All the beds are, however, nearly depleted from excess- 

 ive fishing. The specific gravity of the water at the mouth is 1.0196; at the head it is 1.0132. 



A heavy overflow from the Savannah River would make the upper half of this river too 

 fresh for safety in oyster cultivation. Otherwise, by improving the bottom, it is practicable 

 to bring nearly all of this river into oyster grounds. There is more or less mud deposit all 

 over it, but it is believed that only at marked places, as eddies and shoals, is the sediment so 

 great as to prevent at least the growth of planted oysters. The total area is 900 acres; that 

 beyond 1,000 feet from the shore, 28 acres. 



Lazaretto Creek. — This is a narrow, winding stream, averaging not more than 100 yards in 

 width. It is a tributary to the Tybee River, and is about 5 miles in length. It flows through 

 the marsh between Tybee and McQueen's islands, and enters Savannah River just south of 

 Cockspur Island. The depth of water ranges from 7 to 20 feet. The bottom is generally of 

 very soft mud except in places of very small area, where it is sticky, and where may be found 

 .a few scattering oysters of a very superior quality both in shape and flavor. These beds, how- 

 ever, have been nearly destroyed by excessive fishing. Lazaretto Creek receives the bulk of 

 its waters from Tybee River, and during the first part of the ebb the water flows out both in 

 the Savannah River and in Tybee River, while in the last of the ebb the water from the 

 Savannah River enters the creek, thus possibly accounting for the superior flavor of the oysters 

 found in this creek and its tributary called Oyster Creek. 



Specific gravity. — The specific gravity of the water in Lazaretto Creek is 1.0204 at its Tybee 

 River mouth at low water, and 1.0118 at its Savannah River mouth at one-half flood tide. The 

 total area of the creek is 250 acres. Area of natural oyster beds, 19 acres. 



Oyster Creek is a small winding stream, about 100 yards in width, which enters Lazaretto 

 Creek about one mile from Tybee River. It is 3 miles in length and trends westward, then 

 northward and westward in the marshes of McQueen's Island. The depth of water ranges 

 from 7 to 25 feet for the first mile, after which it widens somewhat and becomes a shoal. The 

 bottom is variable, but more favorable for oyster cultivation than Lazaretto Creek. Soft mud 



