The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1926-02-12
SOUND
FISHING GOING
New Waterway VIII Strike
Terrible Blow at Industry
in Aibenarle and Rivers
BY ID. y. MhF.ElNS

by ID. !. hlhEsilNS
The shad and herring fisher
les Of AlbcrnarIe Sound and its
tributaries arc doomed: threat
encd seriously long before tie
industry may be thus hamper
cd in other sections OF tie
State. The completion OF the
inland waterway link connect
ing the .Albenarle and Pungo
rivers will strike that blow.
Many old fishermen have made
this statement, and it is not new
idea.
To give intelligent thought to the
situation, look at your map Of North
Carolina. Note carefully that the
force of the tides from all upper
Albnmarle Sound and its tribu'
taries, converge In the wide funnel
like mouth Of the Alligo tor River,
or would center there, If Alligator
river ran the other way.
Note carefully that Pungo river
CLOVIS toward the sea in lower
Pamlico Sound, the force Of its pre-.
sent limited tide being directed In
It's natural course toward Ocracoke
Inlet. Ocracoke Inlet Is 60 miles
or more south Of Oregon Inlet that
now gives entrance TO the shad and
herring On which the fishermen OF
Albemarle Sound and It's tributar.
les depend for q livelihood.
IT is the force Of the fresh water
mourning down from Alberamle
Sound anu its tributaries that keeps
Oregon Inlet open. and maintains it
as an entrance for anadrOmous fish
that seek the fresh water of the up
per rivers in which TO spawn. And
Oregon Inlet is continually filling
With the widening and deepening Of
the channels in CrCatan Sound, that
baS diverted much of the tide that
once ran strong thru Roanoke
Sound. and kept Oregon and New
lnlctS open.
Where NrppOn Will Fail
Now here is where Oregon Inlet
will finally fail 10 turn fish in the
upper sounds in sufficient quantities
TO keep the fisheries on profitable
basis. The government is dredging
Il 12-fOot canal to connect Alligator
and Pungo Rivers. This canal i:
nearing completion. Once this
canal is opcnc wide from river to
river. The tide in Alligator River
will be reversed. and instead Of
flowing towards its mouth, the
wafer that now gncs into AlbCmarir
Sound and keeps Oregon Inlet op"n.
will Flow the other way. and ont
pun-o River. GO miles below Oregon
IriCt.
Most nG the fresh wafer now pour
ing down Albcmarlr and into Croa-
tan Sound. will find it's way in ~
Ii@aror River. the nearer Nater-
course. Alligator river is equally
is wide us Cr0atGu Sound. and is
funnel shaped entrance will dra"
in the fresh water from the sound
and the rivers Cor miles On either
side.
VIII Hurt Three Sounds
II is geenrally known that the
water from the sounds is what keeps
inlcts open, not the water from the
sea. Remove the water flowing cut
ward thru an inlet, and the strong
ocean tides and winds, will soon ELL
the mouth Of an inlet with sand.
Oregon Inlet has been filling for
years. New Inlet closed fox the
same reason. When the tides ran
strong thru Roanoke Sound, Oregon
Inlet and New Inlet were both wide
and deep and the immense flow OF
fresh water thru the inlets was ielt
far out to sea, attracting fish into
the sounds and on up to the rivers
" here they desposited their millions
Of eggs to make more fish Many Of
these egg-laden fish were intercept
cd by nets a. they made their way
toward the spawning grounds, and
caused the fishing industry to
flourish.
The action Of wind and tides
eventually widened Cr0atan Sound.
d once rery narrow waterway, block !
I'd on The south by immense areas /
or marsh. The sandy shores were
washed down by the tides, The /
marsh was swept away, and the
widencd and decpcncd.
Sloug came Government drcd@eS,
l,akiug II waterway. and dccpcn"d
.Lq cbaunci in Crpatan from nine
n II feet. Thru this wide and
ICoutinued OIL Page flve)