208 G. L. COLLIE — WISCONSIN SHORE OP LAKE SUPERIOR 



aging 100 rods in width, and is made up of several parallel ridges, the 

 oldest of which lie inside the bar toward the mainland. 



Behind the bar is an extensive marsh, which reaches across to the 

 former shorehne of the bay. In general the marsh is well developed. 

 Tamaracks grow in many portions of it. It has reached a higher degree 

 of development than any other marsli of tlie region, and for this reason 

 it is assumed that it is the oldest marsh in Chequamegon bay. 



The formation of a marsh in an exposed body of water, such as Che- 

 quamegon bay, presupposes the existence of a barrier, behind which the 

 marsh deposit may accumulate. The older the marsh, the older the 

 barrier, other things being e(|ual. Hecause the Oak I^oint marsh is the 

 oldest of that type of formation, it is assumed that Oak Point bar, which 

 lies in front of it, is the oldest of the bar formations in Chequamegon 

 ba_y. It ma}' be questioned whether the relative age of a l):ir can be 

 determined b}'' means of the character of the dei)osits l)ehind it. in the 

 case of the Chequamegon Bay deposits it is believed that the method is 

 applicable, under the conditions which exist in that region. 



BAD RIVER BAR 



The second stej") in the modification of the bay was the formation of a 

 bar which connected the mainland with Oak Point bar. This bar is 

 called Bad River bar, because Bad river breaks through it in its passage 

 to the lake. The bar extends from the point where the old shoreline of 

 Chequamegon bay turned abruptly from its northwest trend to the south- 

 west, a point about 3 miles east of Bad river. 



lllvidenth' the l)ar l)egan as a si)it, which formed because of the abrapt 

 change in the trend of the coast line. 'J'lie spit gradually ))ecame ex- 

 tended until it joined Oak Point bar. The two combined formed a hook 

 nearl}' miles long. I^ad Uiver bar is ver}?- narrow, averaging but a few 

 rods in width. It consists of a single ridge, whose upper portion is com- 

 posed of wind-blown sands. Apparent!}' no deposition is going on in 

 connection with the l)ar, and a well defined nij) is seen all along the lake 

 side of the bar. Marsh deposits completely fill the lagoon behind the 

 bar. The Bad river traverses the marsh, being deflected to the west as 

 it approaches the bar. The mouth of the river is migrating westward 

 continually. This fact is shown by the ])ronounced nip on the west bank 

 of the stream, and also by the fact that a spit is forming on the east l)ank, 

 pushing its way across the river and deflecting it more and more to the 

 westward. 



CHEQUAMEGON POINT BAR 



The third step in the history of the bay was the formation of the long 

 hook-shai)ed bar locally called Long island. This bar consists of two 



