The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1923-08-10
SAYS FISH WILL VOTE
FOR NEW INLET ANY DAY
Elizabeth City Man Gives Fisheries Commis-
sion Some Reasons Why New Inlet Should
Be Re-opened

II the state flSlcrleS Soll-
mission Board is going to
spend the hundred thousand
dollars appropriated by the last
General Assembly-or any part
of it-for the opening of an in
let between the ocean and the
inland sounds, that inlet should
be New Inlet, according to At
torney c. r. Pugh of this city
who gives his reasons to the
Fisheries Commission.
Mr.. Pugh is a native of Dare Coun-
ty and has been identified with the
fishing industry in one way or an
other for good many years. lie
naturally takes an interest in any
thing that means an expenditure of
money in Dare County. lie puts up
a good case for New Inlet, giving five
reasons why it should be favored.
Here are his reasons:-
First: 1t is so situated ge0gra-
phically as to be in a direct line Of
the flow of water from Albemarle
sound and it's tributaries through
Croatan and Roanoke Sounds, at the
most narrow point of the beach. Ira
dition tells us that in the past 100
, years New Inlet has moved south
about miles. About thirty years ago
it had on it's south side strong
marsh, reinforced by its grass roots,
serving as wall which WAS not suS-
ceptible to tidal influences. AS the
inlet gradually moved southwark the
marsh moved nOrthward on the ocean
side and the inlet came i'm contact
with q low beach which flooded with
every inflow of tide and therefore
greatly reduced the force Of the cbb
tide to keep it open. AS it continued
southwark and the beach became only
a sand bar, the force of the tide from
the sound gradually weakened for lack
of resistance until it was insufficient
to discharge the same brought in By
the flood tide.
The Fish Like 1t.
Second: This location is such
that shad, herring and migratory fish
of the most commercial value in our
waters passed through this inlet into
the various sounds and rivers Of the
Stat more generally and in greater
numbers than ut any other inlet fur
ther south and especially in the
counties of Hyde, Dare, Currituck,
Camden, Perquimans, Pasquotank,
! Chowan, Bertic, Hcrtford, Halifax.
Martin, Washington and Tyrcll.
Migratory fish entering this inlet
would find all of the streams and
rivers in accordance with their rcsu-
lad habits affording them feeding
and spawning grounds.
Third: On its north side large
sand bar extends well out into the
ocean and thereby serves as Il lead TO
migratory fish on their northern mi
grafton after they have rounded the
Diamond Shoals, extending several
miles out from Buxton. On its south
side is sand bar grassed over and
is as permanent as a concrete wall
extending about six miles in the
Pamlico Sound which serves as Il
natural guide directing the tide fI0m
Albemarle Sound and its tributaries
through Croatan Sound towards the
inlet with sufficient force to remove
the volume of sand brought in by
flood time, and therefore would be
kept open with the slight force Of Il
suitable dyking. On its north side is
also a sand bar grasscd over and
permanent, which serves 10 force the
tide extending northward from the
Pamlico Sound and its tributaries
These inside sand bars which do not
exist at any other point-according
to the best information obtainablc-
are natural and have been in existence
without the slightest change for a
hundred years or more. 1t must be
admitted that some such guide direct
ing the ebb tide to the weakest point
along the beach is necessary in order
to keep the inlet open, and if these
natural guides should be overlooked
and artificial dykes constructed to
take their places the cost would be
; prohibitive. The channel at New In
let extends from IL foot curve in
| Pamlico Sound to within less than
one mile from the ocean, with a depth
of six feet at the most shallow places,
; and within 400 yards Of the ocean
with a depth of feet of water.
According to the best scientific in
formation of the habits Of anadra.
nous and migratory fish, they make g.
straight couase in theiF northern
migration from Cape Fear 10 Cape
Lookout, and thence to Cape Hat.
teras and Diamond Shoals which ex-
tends 16 miles from the coast, thence
they shape their course towarij the
most eastern point on the -orth
Carolina coast. namely ChiGam raII-