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LAKE MAUREPAS,

lying west of Lake Pontchartrain, is 111⁄2 miles long in a northeast and southwest direction, from 4 to 8 miles wide, and about 10 feet (3.0 m.) deep. The shores of the lake are low and thickly wooded and there are no cities or towns along them. The lake is of little commercial importance except as the approach to the Tickfaw and Amite Rivers, both of which have considerable trade to New Orleans passing through the lake.

Pass Manchac is a passage 51⁄2 miles long by 150 to 200 yards wide connecting Lake Pontchartrain with Lake Maurepas. The pass has good depths, but the approaches in both lakes are across long bars on which the channel depths are 7 feet (2.1 m.). Three lights mark the approach from Lake Pontchartrain as follows: A white light on a white cylindrical tower attached to a building on the north side of the entrance, a red light on a red beacon south of the entrance, and a white light on a white beacon north of the entrance. The last two are on the east sides, respectively, of South Channel and East Channel and mark the entrances from the lake to these channels. South Channel is good for a draft of 7 feet (2.1 m.) in a dredged cut lying 125 feet west of the light and extending in a straight line to Pass Manchac Lighthouse. East Channel lies along the shore northward from Pass Manchac and is good for 5 feet (1.5 m.). A fog bell is struck every 30 seconds during thick weather at the central light. A railroad bridge, which has a draw opening 60 feet wide, spans the west end of the pass.

To enter Lake Maurepas from Lake Pontchartrain, pass 125 feet west of South Channel Light and head for Pass Manchac Lighthouse. Haul around the point at a distance of 150 to 200 yards and steer mid-channel courses through the pass to the railroad bridge and then follow the north shore at a distance of 200 to 300 yards for 12 miles in order to avoid the middle ground in the entrance to the lake. Tickfaw River flows into the northerly end of Lake Maurepas over a bar having a least channel depth of 7 feet (2.1 m.) The tributaries of this river, Natalbany and Blood Rivers, join it 12 and 7 miles, respectively, above its mouth. Ponchatoula River is a tributary of Natalbany River, 31⁄2 miles above its junction with the Tickfaw. All of these streams are navigable for any draft that can be taken across the outer bar and for distances above their respective mouths as follows: Tickfaw, 23 miles; Natalbany, 9 miles; Blood, 4 miles; and Ponchatoula, 4 miles. The town of Springfield is on Natalbany River, 81⁄2 miles above its mouth. A white light on a white pile marks the west side of the mouth of Tickfaw River at the shore of the lake.

To enter Tickfaw River, steer northward for the light, giving the east side of the entrance a berth of 100 yards.

Amite River empties into Lake Maurepas 8 miles westward of Pass Manchac. A depth of 7 feet (2.1 m.) can be taken across the bar at the entrance and for a distance of about 32 miles above the mouth. Its tributary, Bayou Manchac, joins it about 32 miles above the mouth and is navigable for 5 feet (1.5 m.) draft for 8

miles, to the town of Hope Villa. The entrance to Amite River is marked by two single-pile beacons and a white light above a white house. A fog bell at the light is struck every 30 seconds during thick weather.

To enter Amite River pass northward of the two entrance beacons with the light nearly ahead, and when past the second beacon, head for the entrance to the river, passing well to eastward of the light.

CHANDELEUR AND BRETON SOUNDS

lie southward of Mississippi Sound and northward of the Mississippi River Delta-Chandeleur Sound to northward and Breton Sound to southward-with no clearly defined line of demarcation between them. Chandeleur Islands form the eastern boundary of Chandeleur Sound. They are a narrow, crescent-shaped chain of low.islands, beginning 10 miles southward of Ship Island and extending in a general south by west direction for a distance of 23 miles. Southwestward from these islands are Errol Island, at a distance of 2 miles, and Breton Island, 811⁄2 miles beyond Errol Island. These mark the eastern limit of Breton Sound. Vessels of less than 10 feet (3.0 m.) draft bound from Mississippi Sound to Mississippi River can pass through these sounds and have smoother water than by passing eastward of the islands.

Chandeleur Lighthouse, at the northerly end of the Chandeleur Islands, is a pyramidal, skeleton structure, painted black and brown. The light is flashing red (light 0.5 second, eclipse 9.5 seconds), 99 feet (30 m.) above the water, and visible 16 miles.

North, Freemason, Old Harbor, and New Harbor Islands are located on the eastern side of Chandeleur Sound. There are no houses on these islands and they are frequented only by fishermen and trappers. Several unmarked channels good for a draft of 8 feet (2.4 m.) or more, lie between them. Good protected anchorage for small boats in stormy weather can be found in Shoalwater Bay, Smack Channel, and in some of the other passages.

The western shore of both sounds is a network of marshy islands separated by shallow bayous and bays. The land is all low and is submerged on extremely high tides, in some places nearly to the banks of the Mississippi River. Several shallow canals lead from the southern part of Breton Sound to the river bank, but only one of them, Ostrica Canal, leads into the river. These canals are used by the large fleet of oyster boats operating in the sound to deliver their catch at the canneries and packing houses on the river bank. Ostrica Canal is a privately-owned canal leading into the Mississippi River at the village of Ostrica, 211⁄2 miles above the Head of the Passes. At high water a draft of 6 feet (1.8 m.) can be taken from Breton Sound, through Quarantine Bay, Bayou Tourtillon, and this canal, to the river, but on account of numerous oyster bars in these waters local knowledge is essential. The canal has one lock in the levee of the river which will accommodate a vessel 60 feet long, 18 feet wide, and 4 feet (1.2 m.) draft at low water, and 6 feet (1.8 m.) draft at high water. The entrance to the canal from the river is on the southeast side of a large cannery on the river bank. Toll charges for the canal are as follows: Vessels under 25 feet in

length, $3.25; from 25 to 30 feet, $3.75; over 30 feet, 15 cents for each additional foot.

The village of Ostrica is described on page 130.

Courses, Chandeleur and Breton Sounds

1. From Chandeleur lighthouse bearing 84° true (E. by N. mag.), distant 3 miles, to a PS buoy 114 miles westward of Old Harbor Islands.

Or, from the lighthouse astern, bearing 32° true (NNE. % E. mag.), distant 11⁄2 miles, steer 212° true (SSW. % W. mag.) for 171⁄2 miles.

2. To a position 61⁄2 miles south of the north end of Breton Island, passing 12 miles eastward of the north end of Breton Island.

3. To position with Pass a Loutre Lighthouse bearing 230° true (SW. mag.), distant 4 miles.

4. To buoy No. 2...

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MISSISSIPPI RIVER •

The Mississippi River empties into the north central part of the Gulf of Mexico through several mouths or passes, which form what is known as the delta of the Mississippi. The delta is, roughly, of a bird-foot form, having four toe-like extensions (the passes), which consist of narrow-banked deposits of sand and clay brought down by the river current. Between the passes are bays of considerable extent, which are being slowly filled by wave and tidal action from the Gulf, carrying in the bar sands, and by sedimentation from river overflow from above. The upper half of Garden Island Bay has been filled in this manner and is now a marsh. The delta is being built seaward at an estimated average rate of about 300 feet a year.

The passes begin to diverge at a point called Head of the Passes, 12 and 17 miles above the mouths of South and Southwest Passes, respectively. The angle of greatest divergence is about 127°. The perimeter of the delta between the most widely divergent passes is about 35 miles.

PASS A LOUTRE

Pass a Loutre, the northeasternmost of the passes, has two mouths separated from each other by the Middle Ground, on the southern end of which is Pass a Loutre Lighthouse. The principal entrance is southward of the lighthouse and is obstructed by a shifting bar, across which there is a depth of about 7 feet (2.1 m.) This entrance is but little used. North Pass, the other mouth of Pass a Loutre, is not navigable. About 5 miles below the Head of the Passes,

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Southeast Pass of Pass a Loutre branches off southeastward, and it, in turn, has a branch called Northeast Pass. Both of these branches have shallow outlets into the Gulf and are of but little importance. Pass a Loutre and all its branches have good depths from inside their mouths to the Head of the Passes. Sills have been placed across the pass at the Head of the Passes entrance, to divert the flow of water into the other passes. There is about 17 feet (5.2 m.) of water over these sills.

Pass a Loutre Lighthouse is a spirally banded black and white conical tower. The light is fixed red, 59 feet (18 m.) above the water, and visible 12 miles.

Northeast Pass unused lighthouse is a grayish white tower on the north side of the mouth of the pass.

SOUTH PASS

South Pass, sometimes called Eads Pass, is one of the two important commercial entrances to the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico. It lies 425 miles northwestward of Dry Tortugas and 90 miles southwestward of Mobile Bay entrance. It has been improved by the construction of jetties on both sides of the entrance and by dredging, so that there is a usual depth of about 33 feet (10.0 m.) throughout the length of the pass from the Gulf to the Head of the Passes, a distance of about 12 miles. The width of the pass varies from 530 to 850 feet; the width in the clear between the jetties at their ends is about 670 feet. Immediately outside the entrance the depths are subject to considerable change, due to the large amounts of sediment brought down by the strong river currents; but at a distance of 114 miles out from the end of the jetties the depths are more dependable, and 10 fathoms (18.3 m.) can be found in any easterly or southerly direction.

Lying between one-fourth and one-half mile off the end of the jetties on the west side of the channel is a dangerous shoal marked by a bell buoy, with depths of 8 to 15 feet (2.4 to 4.6 m.) on it. This shoal, coupled with the strong currents coming out from the river, makes the navigation of South Pass difficult for strangers without the aid of a pilot. A bend in the channel near the Head of the Passes also adds to the difficulty of navigating South Pass.

Sand waves, appearing at times about halfway up the pass, have been known to delay vessels of deep draft. They are a temporary lodgement of large volumes of heavy sand in shoals at a certain stage of the river. They have not been of frequent occurrence in recent years.

South Pass Light Vessel lies about 111⁄2 miles east-southeastward from the entrance in latitude 28° 59′ N., longitude 89° 07′ W. The vessel has a red hull with "South" painted on both sides; two black masts; and a black cylindrical lantern and gallery on tubular foremast. The light is a group flashing white, 2 flashes every 15 seconds (flash 0.6 second, eclipse 4.4 seconds; flash 0.6 second, eclipse 9.4 seconds), 50 feet (15.2 m.) high and visible 13 miles. A fixed white light is shown on the forestay. If the flashing white light is inoperative, a less brilliant fixed white light will be shown. The fog signal is a siren, blast 2 seconds, silent 2 seconds, blast 2 seconds, silent 24 second. If the siren is disabled, a bell will be rung by hand,

2 strokes every 15 seconds. The submarine bell rings group 2 strokes every 15 seconds.

The entrance between the jetties is marked by lighthouses and lighted ranges. The light on the outer end of the east jetty is occulting red. A fog bell sounds a single stroke every 10 seconds. The outer end of the west jetty is marked by a fixed white light, which, with another fixed white light 430 yards, 298° true (WNW. mag.) from it forms the range for entering. The front light is on a white house, black vertical stripe, on pile foundation, and has an air diaphone fog signal, 1 blast every 20 seconds. The rear light is on a black, square, pyramidal, skeleton structure, with a white vertical stripe, and is visible on the range line only.

South Pass Lighthouse, on the west bank 214 miles above the end of the jetties, is a white skeleton structure inclosing a cylindrical stairway. The light is flashing white (flash 1.5 seconds, eclipse 3.5 seconds), 108 feet (33 m.) above the water, visible 16 miles, and the strongest light at the passes of the Mississippi River.

The Pilots Station is a small settlement on the west bank about one-half mile above the end of the jetties. Rates for bar pilotage are given on page 134.

Port Eads, situated 21/4 miles above the end of the jetties on the east bank, is a post office and headquarters for the construction force employed in the maintenance of the pass.

South Pass Radio Compass Station, maintained by the United States Navy, is located in latitude 29° 00′ 43′′ N., longitude 89° 09′ 33′′ W. The call letters are NBX.

The following regulations relating to the navigation of South Pass of the Mississippi River have been prescribed for the protection of the pass and the works for its improvement.

Vessels navigating South Pass or any part thereof are required to reduce their speed so as not to exceed 10 miles (statute) per hour over the ground or from point to point, without regard to the velocity of the current or run of the tide.

All vessels anchoring in the pass shall take position near the eastern bank of the pass above a point marked by a post painted white, which is about one-half of a mile above South Pass Lighthouse, and below the island at the head of the pass; and vessels so anchoring shall put out such extra moorings as may be necessary to prevent their being blown athwart the channel and thus endangering the navigation of the pass, whenever required to do so by the United States inspecting officer of the works for the improvement of the pass.

No master or other person in command of a vessel drawing more than 12 feet of water shall enter the jetty channel from sea with such vessel until after a descending vessel which has previously entered said channel from above has passed to sea, and likewise no such vessel descending the river shall enter the channel at the head of the pass until after an ascending vessel which shall have passed the head of Goat Island has passed through the entrance at the head of the pass.

All vessels discharging or waiting to discharge ballast at Port Eads must be moored to the bank by lines, and no vessel shall discharge ballast into the Gulf of Mexico within a distance of 5 miles from the sea ends of the jetties; nor shall ashes or other refuse matter which may be liable to cause a shoaling or filling up of South Pass be dumped therein.

The United States dredge boats or any other boats operated under the direction of the War Department shall have the exclusive right of way over all other vessels navigating South Pass while they are at work therein, and all vessels in passing them must be governed by their signals. They shall give the usual steam-whistle signal for passing to port or starboard, and this shall be

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