Introduction............................................ 1
1989 Reef Activities Summary............................ 2
Reef Material Assessment................................ 7
Reef Site Location Map.................................. 9
FH-1....The Horn Island Barges.......................... 10
FH-1 Orientation Maps................................... 13-14
FH-2....The Bill Walker Site............................ 24
FH-2 Orientation Maps................................... 26-27
FH-3....The Shallow Liberty Ships....................... 31
FH-4....The Ship Island Barges.......................... 35
FH-5....The Swash Channel Barge......................... 37
FH-6....The Deep Liberty Ships.......................... 40
FH-7....The Rigs to Reef Site........................... 45
FH-8 FH-9 FH-10....The Shallow Water Sites.............. 47 & 6
References and the 1990 MGFB Board of Directors......... 48
Introduction
This is a completion report for Mississippi Gulf Fishing Bank's reef assessment program for the 1989
year. It will primarily discuss the efforts of the organization during the 1989 year and then present the
reef sites along with the materials that exist there.
Before getting into the 1989 activities some discussion of the organization is in order.
Who the MGFB is
Mississippi Gulf Fishing Banks, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing and
monitoring fishing reefs off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The foremost intent of the Fishing Banks is to
improve Mississippi's fishing. Members come from all walks of life including sport fishermen, charter
boat skippers, commercial fishermen, or just the average "Joe" interested in Mississippi's offshore
fishing. All are invited to participate. The annual dues are only five dollars each. The members meet at
7:30 P.M. the second Thursday of each month at the Biloxi Chamber of Commerce building located
about 100 yards Northeast of the old Hwy 90 Biloxi Light House. The group is funded by Harrison and
Jackson Counties along with federal funds that become available on a matching basis.
Why they formed
Throughout most of the world natural reefs exist. These are made up of millions of small sea animals
that manage to grip a hold on the bottom. As these animals eventually die the skeletons remain giving
the new born animals a place to attach. Eventually the reef builds taller and taller. The problem off
Mississippi is that the bottom is in most places contains some mud which is too soft to give the animals
a place to attach. Also because of the many fresh water rivers dumping into the gulf, the water
conditions are not as ideal for the reef building animals so they do not thrive as well. It takes millions
of them to get the base started, which is the most difficult part of the process. By placing a structure on
the bottom, the small animals now have a base to attach to. Small fish feed on the reef building animals
and larger fish feed on these smaller fish. This is called the food chain. The small fish also use the small
nooks and crannies to avoid predators.
The reef also works in a different manner. Picture a fish swimming for hours, perhaps days, along the barren bottom searching for food without much in site. Then he suddenly comes across a structure. Curiously he investigates it and finds it more interesting than the barren bottom he had been custom to. While hanging around the structure other fish too become curious and investigate. Soon the population consists of predators and prey. With this scenario occurring over and over again, eventually the reef becomes quite populated. In fact there is much debate today as to whether the reefs merely collect populations of fish that can be harvested, or do they in fact provide a haven and nursery for the young thereby increasing populations. The Fishing Banks is conducting studies to help determine this.
Mississippi's offshore bottom, inside of 30 miles, is pretty much barren and devoid of natural reef
structure unlike the neighboring states of Alabama and Florida. This is why the Mississippi Gulf Fishing
Banks formed. There was a substantial need for placing artificial reefs to enhance fishing.
So how is an artificial reef constructed? Well it is a simple matter of sinking something on the bottom. But to be effective the material should be substantial so it won't move, and it should not be harmful to the environment. The Fishing Banks presently use old barges, boats, or concrete rubble. These successful materials will be detailed later in the report.
Summary of our 1989 Activities
1. Comprehensive assessment of existing reef materials.
2. Procurement and development of 3 new shallow water sites.
3. The sinking of 85 concrete housing modules.
4. Negotiations with Louisiana for a jointly held reef.
5. Implementation of a Fish Tagging Program.
6. Supported Miss. State Univ. to try catching brood redfish.
7. Supported a separate saltwater fishing license.
8. Voiced our opinion on the upcoming federal regulations.
9. Looked into the joint purchase of a center dump barge.
10. Contracted to sink a barge, but it could not be raised.
11. Investigating the adding of shells off of local piers.
12. Saw a presentation from NOAA on their local survey work.
A quick summary of our 1989 efforts is shown above in Figure One. These will now be reviewed in
reverse order.
NOAA Survey Work
Mr. Andy Sneller and Mr. Phil Gucchio of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration came on September 14, 1989 and talked to us about their efforts to survey local obstructions to navigation. It was very informative as they showed pictures of some of our reefs taken with side scan sonar. NOAA is interested in problems to marine navigation and not fishing reefs. They spend alot of time dragging sonar devices to detect obstructions on the bottom. Then they make dives to determine the minimum clearance and any hazards the structures impose. Some mention was made by the organization as to how we might obtain information as to their findings on new obstructions. They said this information is not purposely withheld but that obtaining it may prove difficult because of government red tape and not knowing the proper person to get it from. Some sonar pictures are included in this report that were taken from Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission's special report No. 2-WB titled "Two Methods of Monitoring Assessment of Artificial Reef Materials". It was published in July of 1989. The authors are Ronald R. Lukens, John D. Cirino, J.A. Ballard, and Glenn Geddes.
Adding Shells to local Piers.
This continues to be pursued in conjunction with further development of the shallow sites. This activity
was largely prompted by Mr. Michael John, a local fisherman who frequently fishes the Gulf Park
Estates Pier. He visited us during the September meeting and expressed his frustration in trying to get
shells placed off the pier. The fishing banks worked to place shells off of that pier and are now
considering other local piers to be developed at the same time it replenishes its three new shallow water
sites.
Barge Project
A contract was signed to have an old barge taken to the FH-5 site early in 1989. The barge was in very
bad condition, and the firm failed to refloat it so that it could be towed to the site. This project was
therefore abandoned.
Center Dump Barge
There has been considerable interest in the organization to obtain a center dump barge that could be
routinely loaded with concrete rubble or other suitable debris, taken to the reef sites, unloaded and
re-used. This is a great idea, but way too expensive.
An effort was made during the year to get Colle Towing of Pascagoula interested in purchasing one to
enhance their operations. The Fishing Banks offered to put up 1/3 of the purchase price of a particular
barge located in Norfolk, VA in exchange for 60 days per year of flex-time usage. Some questions
remained in Colle's mind as to the need of this barge in this area.
Some discussions were made of the Mississippi Power Company barge canal and how that might
increase the need of one. This prompted discussions within the Fishing Banks as to whether they should
endorse the canal since it might benefit Mississippi's fishing through the center dump barge and the
possible use of fly ash as a reef material. There was considerable debate on the issue, but a vote was
taken that defeated the endorsement.
Upcoming Federal Fishing Regulations.
There are alot of changes being made to the federal bag and size limits of the reef fish. The Fishing Banks has been tuned to this throughout the process and has voiced its opinion. While the federal reports show the reef fish in danger of collapse, the Fishing Banks does not. The Fishing Banks is in favor of conservation and imposing limits, but they feel the limits being imposed are drastic and unrealistic. To go from unlimited capture of red snapper to somewhere around two to five per person seemed drastic. The council has now gone to seven per person which is better but still seems low when compared to the catch rates. Furthermore the limits imposed must be enforced. It has been obvious that present limits are not properly enforced. In 1988 the Fishing Banks had a local enforcement agent visit our meeting on the issue. He said himself that their workforce size and priorities did not allow proper enforcement of regulations. It appears the honest man will lose.
The Fishing Banks has been tagging fish and taking underwater videos of the sites and has seen little
if any depletion of the reef fish. Between 50 and 100 snapper are tagged on an average trip and the
videos show an abundance of reef fish.
Saltwater Fishing License
Another bill was considered early in 1989 for a saltwater fishing license. The Fishing Banks is in favor
of a license if handled properly. They favor a separate license so that the money could be used to
support saltwater activities. Also separate statistics could be obtained on saltwater anglers compared to
freshwater. They further want a boat license to be available for charter boats so as to not discourage
tourism. Letters were sent to the appropriate representatives on this issue.
Brood Redfish Capture
Mississippi State University has been conducting redfish studies for the past few years. Their project
involves releasing juvenile redfish into Mississippi's coastal waters. One phase of their studies has been
to get captured redfish to spawn. To accomplish this they need large brood redfish. On November 9,
1988 the Fishing Banks sponsored a trip to capture some. A spotter plane was used to direct the two
fishing boats to the right spot. The trip was very successful with 17 large redfish being captured and
brought back to the breeding tanks. Unfortunately, they have not been successful in getting them to
breed. Also some fatalities have resulted prompting them to ask for more help to capture more fish. The
fishing banks supported yet another trip during 1989 which unfortunately turned out fruitless. The
Fishing Banks continues to offer support as long as fish continue to be released into Mississippi's waters.
Fish Tagging Program
With all the talk of fish depletion and federal regulations, the Fishing Banks recognized the need to
conduct some studies of its own. Underwater video and fish tagging appeared to be useful tools.
Without much experience in tagging fish they sought advise from the GCRL (Gulf Coast Research
Laboratory) and the NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service). It was desired to establish a joint effort
with the GCRL whereby the Fishing Banks could tag the fish and the GCRL could handle the tag
returns. However, the cooperation of the GCRL was not obtained so other avenues were sought. The
Fishing Banks became aware of an organization in Texas called "Fish Trackers, Inc." that would
provide the necessary fish tags.
The yellow spaghetti tag is poked into the fish's back. It contains a number and a Texas address. A card
is filled out on each fish giving its size, location, and date of the tagging. When the fish is re-caught the
tag is mailed back to Texas where they look up the information card and then mail out the information
back to the Fishing Banks.
The biggest problem with the system is that most anglers apparently don't wish to bother mailing the
tag back in. Many tell of catching tagged fish, but they did not measure the fish nor report its location
and date of capture. In fact outside of the Fishing Banks organization only one person has reported a
capture to date. Thank you Mr. Ronnie Fishburn who reported catching a 13.5 inch red snapper on
12-7-89. The fish was originally tagged on 10-22-89 measuring 10 inches. From the description Ronnie
gave the fish appears to have stayed on the same reef.
Within the organization several recaptures have occurred. The information has thus far shown at least
some of the red snapper stay on the same reef for at least a couple of months. The information on
growth has varied from one half inch per month to three inches per month. One of the discrepancies
appears to have been caused by measuring difficulties. Recently a measuring board was made that
allows the fish to be placed onto it with his head sliding against a stop. The fish is pressed down
allowing a quick measurement to be taken at the tail. It is believed that this will help get more accurate
growth information.
The tagging information has shown that a size limit on red snapper would be quite advantages provided
all fishermen would adhere to it. The fish would most likely be caught again.
Anyone catching a tagged fish should please return it with the date, size, and location of the catch. As
to the location, it does not need to be exact if it was caught on your secret hole. It is recommended to
use latitude and longitude to the nearest minute. This would give a relatively close location (within a
mile) without giving away the exact spot. Everyone can learn something with some cooperation.
Louisiana Reef off Chandeleur.
Negotiations are under way to permit a jointly held reef off of the Chandeleur Islands. It is located in
about 40' of water at LORAN coordinates 12303.1, 47018.2. Plans are to permit at least twenty acres
with a seven foot maximum structure height. See the orientation map later in this report for its location.
The Sinking of 85 Concrete Housing Modules.
Mississippi Gulf Fishing Banks implemented its single largest reef building project to date during
November of 1989. The defective modules looked something like dormitory rooms measuring 13' Wide,
9' Tall, and 27' Long. Some of them had roofs and some did not. All of them had some type of opening
on the ends and windows on the sides. Some went down whole while others broke apart as they went
overboard. The project required two trips towing two barges with the modules stacked two high. They
were scattered more or less individually on sites FH-1 and FH-2.
The project actually started back in 1988 by member John Cirino. John worked a long time to coordinate efforts and it seemed like the project would never unfold. Bids were sent to seven companies
of which only two responded. The award was given to Steiner Shipyards of Bayou La Batre. The
Fishing Banks is to be reimbursed 75% of the project cost by federally available Wallop Breaux funds.
John Cirino went through alot of paper work to get these funds available. Hats off to John for making
this project a reality. See the maps later in this report for the locations.
Three New Shallow Water Sites
During 1989 efforts were made to secure some shallow water sites to enhance the speckled trout, white
trout, and redfish grounds. Originally five sites were desired that were close to the barrier islands, two
off of Ship Island and three off of Horn Island. It appeared that the Fishing Banks would be able to
pursue these, but the Gulf Islands National Seashore has jurisdiction within one mile of the islands and
responded negatively. Jerry Eubanks, Superintendent responded in a letter dated February 17, 1989
saying "It is the policy of the National Park Service that actions to enhance habitat for native species
of fish and wildlife will not normally take place. Such actions are limited to those that are required to
reestablish or aid species that have been adversely affected by factors such as hunting or loss of critical
habitat." Therefore these sites were abandoned and three sites outside of their jurisdiction were
permitted. These sites are known as FH-8, FH-9, and FH-10. FH-10 is located inside Horn Island at
the Middle Grounds while the other two are located inside Ship Island. All three had shells deposited
on them during the first week of September 1989. See the maps later in this report for their locations.
Buoys
Sites FH-1 thru FH-6 are required to be marked with buoys. This has been a very very difficult task to
accomplish. Each year buoys are placed, but soon they are pulled loose by strong waves and uncooperative boats that insist on tying to them.
Each site generally receives at least one buoy each year. Some sites have gotten a second after the first
one disappears. During the 1989 year the buoy work slowed down a little as the Fishing Banks tried
to determine a more effective plan. A commercial buoy manufacturer was contacted in Louisiana to
come share their experience and expertise with the group. The Fishing Banks eventually purchased two
that were placed in conjunction with the Module project. The buoys cost almost $3,000 each and one
failed in lasting two weeks. The other one is still in place at the NorthEast corner of FH-1 as of this
writing but the radar reflector has been torn off significantly lowering its height and visibility. This buoy
is not attached to a wreck but has its own dedicated anchor weight. Two other buoys were placed on
FH-4 and FH-5 during the 1989 year. Their present condition is not known.
Anyone seeing a boat tied to one should get it's name or number and report it.
Introduction
This project was contracted with Mark P. Miller of which this report is part of. Dives were made on
each of the targets with as much information being collected as feasible. Of course some dive conditions
were not as favorable as others thereby hampering the collection of data. The data was presented as
factual as possible each month in report form. The reports included sketched "Fact Sheets" on each
target which will be reproduced in this report. Some minor changes may have occurred due to increased
knowledge of a target since the monthly report. This report will not include all of the details of the
monthly reports. Rather it is meant to show the reader what materials presently exist on the sites and
how some of them may be settling or changing. Measurements shown for pre-1989 were obtained from
the minutes. The 1987 & 1988 readings were taken by Steve W. West while the pre-1987 readings were
taken by Ronald R. Lukens. They were the contracted parties during those years.
Before detailing the sites some general conclusions were drawn that will be discussed first.
Overall Conclusions
It appears that none of the reef sites are deteriorating significantly. It appears that scouring and
oversedimentation will take over first but will be slow to occur. The sites to the west show much more
scouring into the bottom, but many years of life are expected. The sediment is not covering up the
structures as much as a hole is forming on the bottom as the structure sinks into it. The structures still
attract fish, but not as well. They would probably do better if FADs (Fish Aggregating Devices) are
installed or if more material is placed on top to bring the water clearance back to where it once was.
Hopper barges seem to work better when landing upside down, at least toward the east where the
bottom is harder. This is because sediment tends to collect in the hopper when right side up. The
bottoms eventually collapse anyway when upside down and this seems to enhance the reef.
Sites to the east attract more reef fish and show more tropical animals as would be expected. The bottom
is harder and the water quality is better. Although the reef sites to the east appear more favorable, they
are a much longer run for Harrison County fishermen. Since the west sites do attract fish they should
not be abandoned, but they may require replenishment sooner. Work should continue along the entire
Mississippi coast.
During April of 1989 the Fishing Banks voted to buy a hand held depth sounder to allow a diver to get
accurate surface clearance measurements. This is important data for marine navigation. The device
however did not work exactly as advertised. While some surface readings could be obtained the signal
did not bounce back strongly. Therefore the readings would tend to jump around some. This left some
questions as to which readings to use. If it was very rough topside the problem was much worse. If
brand new strong batteries were not used the device was useless. Therefore when observing the
minimum depth data on the fact sheets do not consider them highly accurate.
During May of 1989 the Fishing Banks voted to buy an underwater video system to enhance the
monitoring efforts. This has proved to be a very valuable tool as it allows the divers' vision to be brought
back to the meetings. It clearly shows the condition of the structures and its effectiveness as a fish haven.
A presentation was put together for the annual banquet that is held around November of each year. It
proved entertaining and informative. More presentations will be worked on during the next year.
It appears that such a comprehensive assessment of the reefs is probably not necessary each year. It
would be good to do one routinely though. Too much material is accumulating making it difficult to
cover them in a single year. Some yearly visits to several of the sites is valuable and could best be
performed using the underwater video system. It would show the deterioration and effectiveness of the
structures. Concentration should be focused on the newest sites so that their maturity could be
monitored.
In addition the main problem with the structures seems to be souring into the bottom. Most monitoring
efforts have focused on top of hull to bottom measurements which don't show this affect. Taking future
maximum and minimum depth measurements from the surface boat's chart recorder should give a better
indication of scouring. It is questionable as to how much information is really obtained from these corner
measurements as will be seen later in this report. These measurements are tedious and cumbersome to
obtain. The main concern seems to be effectiveness as a fish haven. The video system would show this
as well as scouring and oversedimentation.
There are 10 permitted sites totally over 1900 acres of bottom. On these sites there are 12 Barges, 1 Tug Boat, 1 Steel Hull Boat, 1 Shrimp Boat Hull, 5 Liberty Ship Hulls, 3 Concrete Rubble Piles, 85 Concrete Housing Modules, and about 9 Acres of Shells. The sites are numbered FH-1 thru FH-10. Their locations can best be seen on the map on the following page where a rectangular dot represents their size and location. The largest site is FH-2 (900 Acres) followed by FH-7 (650 Acres) and FH-1 (330 Acres). The most popular site to date is FH-1 also known as the Horn Island Barges. The FH-2 site has been permitted recently, but it contains some old well known wrecks. Each site will be discussed in more detail throughout the rest of this report. Refer to the "Fact Sheets" to get a good idea of what each target looks like.
The Horn Island Barges ** FH-1 **
The Horn Island Barges is a 330 Acre site located about 10 nautical miles south of Horn Island. The
boundary is about half a mile wide (east to west) and about 1 mile tall (north to south). It contains 5
Barges, 4 railroad box cars, 3 piles of concrete rubble, and the new addition of 34 concrete housing
modules. The water depth is 60-65' and the boundaries border LORAN LOPs (Lines of Position)
12403.6, 12408.3, 47039.0, and 47035.2.
The Movible - Barge "A"
This barge was the first piece of material placed here during the Summer of 1984. It was obtained from
Teledyne Corporation and is very large being approximately 180' X 70'. It seems to show more tropical
characteristics probably due to it being here longer. The recorded top of hull to bottom measurements
are shown below. This barge shows virtually no scouring into the bottom probably due to its large
surface area. In fact it was noticed that gaps exist under some of the barge and fish are building nests
under it.
Comparison of Corner Measurements
The Movible - Barge "A" FH-1
3-11-89 7-19-8810-30-87 6-17-8610-19-84 7-20-84
Star Bow 11'-2" 11'-10" 11'-8" 11'-1" 9'-7" 12'-2"
Port Bow 10'-6" 10'-11" 11'-4" 10'-3" 9'-6" 11'-7"
Star Stern 11'-9" 12'-5" 12'-8" 12'-1" 10'-10" 12'-0"
Port Stern 12'-3" 12'-5" 12'-5" 12'-5" 10'-8" 11'-2"
Table One
The Dumpster Barge - Barge "B"
This 150' X 35' hopper barge was obtained from Warrior & Gulf and sunk June 2, 1985. It was loaded
with concrete rubble, drums, old dumpsters, and a large oak tree stump. Most of the contents are
believed to have spilled out landing to the west of the barge that rested upside down. The oak stump
is reported to be under the barge. Hurricane Elena came thru shortly after it was sunk, but did not move
it. The corner measurements are shown below. It should be noted that since the barge lays upside down
the starboard side is considered by looking at the barge as if it were right side up sitting on the bottom
instead of using true starboard. It appears the other surveyors used this same approach.
Comparison of Corner Measurements
The Dumpster Barge - Barge "B" FH-1
3-12-8910-27-88 9-23-87 6-86 10-17-85 6-28-85
Star Bow 6'-0" 7'-2" 7'-10" - - -
Port Bow 8'-10" 11'-4" 13'-7" - - -
Star Stern 10'-8" 11'-4" 11'-10" 11'-3" 9'-6" 9'-9"
Port Stern 13'-2" 13'-2" 13'-10" 13'-2" 13'-1" 14'-11"
Table Two
The Box Car Barge - Barge "C"
This is 280' X 50' Jumbo Hopper barge was sunk on July 31, 1986. It was loaded with four railroad box
cars donated by Mississippi Export Railroad, two cement mixers, and various concrete culverts and
rubble. The contents spilled out to the east and slightly south of the barge. The barge lays upside down
with the bow heading mostly east. Most of the survey efforts during the '89 year were spent on the box
cars since little data exits on them. The barges' corner measurements are shown below. The data shows
some discrepancies which are probably due to where the measurements were taken. It can be seen on
the Fact Sheet that several possibilities exist since the barge is laying upside down. Also the blow hole
on the port bow causes problems for a reference point. This shows the importance of using a sketch to
show where each reference point is picked.
Comparison of Corner Measurements
The Box Car Barge - Barge "C" FH-1
Change 5-07-8911-03-8810-30-87 8-13-86
Star Bow -27" 11'-5" 7'-4" 6'-11" 13'-8"
Port Bow -28" 10'-7" 8'-1" 7'-2" 13'-1"
Star Stern ? - 3'-6" 4'-2" 11'-10"
Port Stern ? - 4'-7" 4'-5" 10'-0"
Table Three
The School Bus Barge - Barge "D"
This 190' X 35' hopper barge was sunk March 22, 1987 loaded with two school buses and various
pieces of concrete rubble. It landed upright with the contents intact, but part of one of the buses has
mysteriously been relocated outside of the hopper. Also there is not too much left of the buses as they
have deteriorated significantly. The corner measurements are compared below. No significant settlement
can be determined.
Comparison of Corner Measurements
The School Bus Barge - Barge "D" FH-1
Change 4-16-8910-27-88 9-23-87
Star Bow -19" 8'-3" 8'-9" 7'-10"
Port Bow + 6" 9'-0" 9'-3" 8'-4"
Star Stern 0" 10'-3" 10'-8" 10'-3"
Port Stern +12" 11'-6" 11'-11" 10'-6"
Table Four
The Rubble Barge - Barge "E"
This 120' X 30' deck barge was used to haul out rubble remains from the old Hwy 613 Escatawpa River
Bridge. It was sunk during August of 1988 in a different location than the rubble as a separate reef. The
corner measurements are compared below. This barge has not been in place long and shows no
significant changes.
Comparison of Corner Measurements
The Rubble Barge - Barge "E" FH-1
Change 3-03-89 11-3-88
Star Bow - 2" 5'-9" 5'-11"
Port Bow - 3" 5'-7" 5'-10"
Star Stern -10" 4'-9" 5'-7"
Port Stern - 6" 4'-7" 5'-1"
Table Five
The Rubble Sites
See the FH-1 Debris Orientation Map for the three rubble piles. Rubble pile #1 was placed on July 20, 1988. It is basically a round pile about 9 feet tall and 80-100 feet in diameter. Rubble #2 was placed on August 3, 1988 and is more spread out with larger pieces present. Rubble #3 was placed on August 19, 1988 and has lower relief in most places compared to the other piles. There is a large area of crumbled concrete here that changes the bottom characteristics without adding much height. These sites seem to attract fish much better, particularly juveniles and bait fish.
The Bill Walker Site ** FH-2 **
This recently permitted site was formed around three existing wrecks commonly known as the "Bill
Walker", the "Marguerite", and the "WaterSpout" located about 8 miles south of Horn Island. It is the
largest site encompassing over 900 acres. The site runs almost two statute miles wide (east to west) and
.7 mile tall (north to south). The water depth is 55-60' feet and the material is encompassed by LORAN
LOPs 12422.0, 12445.0, 47042.5 and 47045.0.
The Bill Walker
When exactly this 110' X 22' Steel Hull was sunk has not been determined. Alot of the deck has
deteriorated away exposing the ribs, but overall the hull is pretty well intact. Measurements were taken
for the first time during 1989 and are shown below.
Hull Measurements
The Bill Walker FH-2
February 5, 1989
Bow 15'-2"
Star Stern 8'-6"
Port Stern 8'-1"
Table Six
The Marguerite
When exactly this 120' X 30' hopper barge was sunk has not been determined. Some deterioration is
evident but not significant. It sits upright with several holes in the bulkheads. Sediment inside the hopper
causes it to be difficult to chart since it will appear as natural bottom. Also the starboard stern is level
with the bottom. Measurements were taken for the first time during 1989 and are shown below.
Corner Measurements
The Marguerite FH-2
January 15, 1989
Star Bow 3'-7"
Port Bow 4'-10"
Star Stern 0"
Port Stern 1'-10"
Table Seven
The WaterSpout
This wood hulled shrimp boat was believed to have sunk sometime around 1986 after colliding with
an oil rig. Most of the boat was salvaged at that time. The demolition used in the process apparently
scattered the wreck somewhat. Not much remains of the hull and the booms make up the bulk of the
wreck. The booms measured 17'-2" off of bottom at the highest point on January 19, 1989. At least
three old five foot cubed tanks remain as well.
The Concrete Housing Modules
As mentioned earlier 51 modules were placed on FH-2 as well as 34 on FH-1. The LORAN
coordinates were taken where the modules went down, but return trips to verify these has not yet been
made. The maps show the general orientation within the sites. A stop was made during a fishing trip
that showed many small juveniles are already showing up.
The Shallow Liberty Ships ** FH-3 **
This six acre site is located about five miles south of the west end of Horn Island. It contains two large
double ended Liberty Ship Hulls sunk in 1978. Hull "A" also known as the "Waterhouse" points North
while hull "B" also known as the "Caldwell" points east and slightly south. The site is about .09 statute
mile square in about 40-45' of water. Its boundaries are formed by the LORAN LOPs 12319.0,
12320.0, 47061.3, and 47061.6.
The hull measurements are compared below. The 1989 data does not show Midship measurements.
Exactly where midship was previously determined was not known so various measurements were taken
as shown on the Fact Sheet. These did not seem to correspond with previous measurements. The
measurements show no significant scouring or oversedimentation. It does appear, however, that
sediment may be shifting in and out from around the hulls. It is interesting to note the changes in the
bow measurement of hull "B" following Hurricane Elena back in 1985.
Comparison of Hull Measurements
Shallow Liberties - The WaterHouse - Hull "A" FH-3
4-29-8910-10-88 7-28-87 8-19-86 4-24-86 5/85
Bow 9'-0" 7'-11" 8'-3" 11'-1" 13'-5" 10'-2"
Star Mid - 12'-8" 11'-9" 12'-9" 12'-8" 12'-10"
Port Mid - 12'-10" 12'-3" 12'-2" 11'-9" 12'-6"
Stern 10'-3" 9'-2" 9'-4" 10'-0" 10'-2" 10'-1"
Table Eight
Comparison of Hull Measurements
Shallow Liberties - The CaldWell - Hull "B" FH-3
4-29-8910-10-88 7-28-87 4-11-8610-24-85 8-21-85 8-13-84
Bow 8'-3" 8'-3" 12'-5" 8'-0" 8'-3" 10'-5" 10'-2"
Star Mid - 11'-5" 12'-5" 10'-9" 11'-4" 11'-5" 11'-5"
Port Mid - 12'-11" 12'-9" 10'-6" 12'-0" 12'-5" 12'-4"
Stern 9'-7" 9'-1" 10'-7" 9'-5" 9'-0" 8'-11" 9'-10"
Table Nine
The Ship Island Barges ** FH-4 **
This 3/4 acre site is located about four miles south of Ship Island and 7.6 miles from Dog Keys Pass.
It contains two barges. One is a hopper barge that was sunk on April 18, 1986. The other is a small deck
barge that was cabled to barge "A" and then sunk along side on October 6, 1987. The site is about .03
mile square in about 30 feet of water. The site is bordered by LORAN LOPs 12227.1, 12227.5,
47061.2, and 47061.3.
The corner measurements for the "A" Barge are compared below in Table Ten. They do show
significant scouring and oversedimentation into the bottom. Only one set of measurements exist for the
small deck barge as shown below in Table Eleven.
Comparison of Corner Measurements
Ship Island Barge - Barge "A" FH-4
Change 8-20-89 9-27-88 7-16-87 7-24-86 4-23-86
Star Bow -138" 3'-8" 3'-10" 6'-4" 14'-9" 15'-2"
Port Bow -131" 4'-7" 4'-8" 6'-1" 15'-3" 15'-6"
Star Stern - 61" 9'-5" 8'-0" 11'-11" 14'-0" 14'-6"
Port Stern - 40" 11'-4" 6'-3" 8'-11" 15'-6" 14'-8"
Table Ten
Corner Measurements
Ship Island Barge "B" FH-4
September 27, 1988
Star Bow 2'-4"
Port Bow 1'-9"
Star Stern 2'-5"
Port Stern 1'-9"
Table Eleven
The Swash Channel Barge ** FH-5 **
This 3/4 acre site is located about 5 miles southwest of Dog Keys Pass in 35-40' of water. It contains
a single hopper barge identical to the Ship Island "A" Barge in FH-4. It was sunk on March 27, 1986.
This square site looks identical to FH-4 but is bordered by LORAN LOPs 12263.9, 12264.3, 47063.1,
and 47063.2. A very large hole exists at the Northwest end where large Jew Fish have been previously
observed making a haven.
The measurements for this barge are compared below in Table Twelve. Significant scouring is evident
here too as well as some oversedimentation.
Comparison of Corner Measurements
Swash Channel Barge - Barge "A" FH-5
Change 8-20-89 9-27-88 7-16-87 7-24-86 4-11-86
Star Bow -119" 4'-11" 4'-11" 5'-5" 13'-10" 14'-10"
Port Bow - 96" 5'-9" 6'-0" 7'-2" 14'-6" 13'-9"
Star Stern -181" -0" -2'-6" 7'-6" 15'-0" 15'-1"
Port Stern -127" 2'-11" -0" 10'-1" 13'-10" 13'-6"
Table Twelve
The Deep Liberty Ships ** FH-6 **
This 20 acre site is located about 13.5 miles south of Horn Island in about 60' of water. There were 3
Liberty Ships sunk in 1978, and one barge sunk in 1987. Two of the ships have broken in half and
moved apart providing a total of six targets at this site. The hulls are labeled A, B-1, B-2, C-1, and C-2.
The Barge is regarded as target "D" and landed partly on top of hull B-1. Some scouring of the ships
is evident with over 70' of water being charted about all targets except for the C-1, and C-2 hulls. The
site is about .12 mile on its east west leg and .2 mile on the north south leg. The boundaries lie on
LORAN LOPs 12354.9, 12356.3, 47030.2, and 47031.0.
The hull measurements are compared below.
Comparison of Hull Measurements
The Deep Liberties - Hull "A" FH-6
Change 9-09-89 4-10-88 1987 6-20-8610-02-84
Bow - 34" 1'-2" 2'-2" 2'-2" 3'-6" 4'-0"
Star Mid - 49" 5'-1" 11'-12" 11'-12" 9'-10" 9'-2"
Port Mid - 57" 8'-1" 13'-7" 13'-7" 11'-5" 12'-10"
Stern - 86" -1' 3'-5" 3'-5" 2'-0" 6'-2"
Table Thirteen
Comparison of Hull Measurements
The Deep Liberties - Hull "B-1" FH-6
Change 9-09-89 4-14-88 6-22-86 7-02-8510-02-84
Star Mid - 20" 8'-4" 9'-5" 12'-6" 10'-6" 10'-0"
Port Mid - 15" 10'-3" 10'-12" 12'-2" 12'-4" 11'-6"
Stern - 57" Barge Barge -4'-9" 0'-0" 0'-0"
Table Fourteen
It should be noted that there is some confusion on Hulls B-1 and B-2. Some references have them reversed. Right or wrong, to avoid confusion, the 1989 convention shown on the Fact Sheet is being used in this report. The pre '89 measurements regarded this hull as B-2 and shows a Bow measurement instead of a Stern measurement.
Hull Measurements
Deep Liberties - "C-1" FH-6
9-10-89 4-14-88
Bow 10' 9'-11"
Star Mid 11' 15'-6"
Port Mid 10' 12'-10"
Table Fifteen
The '89 measurements were taken with the hand held sounder which
is accurate to only 6 inches. It displays to the nearest foot.
Comparison of Hull Measurements
The Deep Liberties - Hull "C-2" FH-6
Change 9-10-89 4-10-88 7-22-86 6-20-86 6-15-85 4-17-85
Stern + 60" 13'-0" 11'-9" 6'-5" 7'-3" 8'-0" 8'-0"
Star Mid + 14" 13'-10" 12'-4" 15'-4" 12'-1" 12'-8" 12'-8"
Port Mid - 31" 12'-2" 14'-7" 11'-10" 14'-0" 14'-7" 14'-9"
Table Sixteen
Comparison of Corner Measurements
The Deep Liberties - Barge "D" FH-6
Change 9-09-89 4-10-88
Star Bow - 22" 8'-0" 9'-10"
Port Bow - 34" 5'-6" 8'-4"
Star Stern - 11" 13'-3" 14'-2"
Port Stern + 54" 17'-5" 12'-11"
Table Seventeen
The bottom port stern of Barge "D" overhangs 5'-3" over the middle of "B-1". The '89 measurement was taken from the top port stern corner to the bottom of "B-1".
There was not room on the Fact Sheet to list target coordinates with all
the fringe readings so they will be tabled below.
LORAN-C Coordinates LORAN-C Coordinates
For the "D" Barge For the "A" Hull
12356.0 (.1) 7980W 12356.1 (.2) 7980W
47030.8 (.9) 7980Y 47030.8 (.7-.9) 7980Y
29518.0 (.1) 7980X 29518.2 (.0-.3) 7980X
64070.1 (.2) 7980Z 64070.1 7980Z
LATITUDE 30:01:73 LATITUDE 30:01:73
LONGITUDE 88:41:72 LONGITUDE 88:41:70
LORAN-C Coordinates LORAN-C Coordinates
For the "B-1" Hull For the "B-2" Hull
12355.9 (56.0) 7980W 12355.7 (.6-.9) 7980W
47030.8 7980Y 47030.5 (.4-.6) 7980Y
29517.9 7980X 29517.4 (.2-.5) 7980X
64070.2 7980Z 64070.2 (.3) 7980Z
LATITUDE 30:01:70 LATITUDE 30:01:65
LONGITUDE 88:41:73 LONGITUDE 88:41:76
LORAN-C Coordinates LORAN-C Coordinates
For the "C-1" Hull For the "C-2" Hull
12355.8 (.6-.9) 7980W 12355.2 (.0-.4) 7980W
47030.3 7980Y 47030.4 (.3) 7980Y
29517.3 (.0-.3) 7980X 29516.7 (.5-.9) 7980X
64070.4 (.3) 7980Z 64070.1 7980Z
LATITUDE 30:01:60 LATITUDE 30:01:60
LONGITUDE 88:41:76 LONGITUDE 88:41:81
Table Eighteen
LORAN Coordinates for all six targets in FH-6
The Rigs To Reef Site ** FH-7 **
This 650 acre site was originally obtained early in 1986 to give oil companies an economical means to
remove obsolete oil rigs. Rather than haul them ashore they could dump the remains on this site, save
themselves money, and at the same time create a fishing reef. The site is about 36 nautical miles south
of Petit Bois Island in about 130' of water. There is a required minimum water clearance of 45 feet, but
so far there appears to be at least 85' of clearance at this time. The material is enclosed by LORAN
LOPs 12529.5, 12541.0, 46920.0, and 46923.4.
No oil companies have taken advantage of the site yet so two barges and one Tug boat have been sunk
in the mean time. All three are within one mile of each other. The largest is a Jumbo Sea Going Barge
which landed upright. It was sunk during 1986. The Tug and Deck Barge were sunk on August 6,
1987. The Tug landed upside down initially but eventually rolled over on its starboard side. The Deck
Barge landed upside down. All three have produced very well for those adventurous enough to make
the long trip. Medium to small amberjack thrive on the Tug and Jumbo Barge, but getting them to bite
is often difficult.
Some excellent video was taken of these sites during the Summer. The survey work was saved for the
end of the year because it was not deemed as important as the shallower sites. Rough seas, strong
currents and poor visibility plagued efforts when time came for the work. Only a few measurements
were taken on the Jumbo Barge as seen on the Fact Sheet. The bow sits 23'-8" off of the bottom
denoting the immense size of this vessel.
It will be interesting to see how much coral forms among these structures since there are known small
patches of natural coral reefs in the area.
The Shallow Water Sites ** FH-8 FH-9 FH-10 **
These three to four acre square sites were permitted during the Summer of 1989. Their locations are best
seen on the location map shown earlier. FH-8 and FH-9 are north of Ship Island while FH-10 is north
of Horn Island on the edge of the "Middle Grounds". These sites merely consist of a 1'-2' layer of shells.
They are meant to enhance the Speckled Trout, White Trout, and Redfish grounds.
FH-8 is in 15 feet of water and is bordered by LORAN LOPs 12187.0, 12187.7, 47082.3, and 47082.0.
FH-9 is in 17 feet of water and is bordered by LORAN LOPs 12226.0, 12226.7, 47082.0, and 47082.3.
FH-10 is in 12 feet of water and is bordered by LORAN LOPs 12381.6, 12382.2, 47085.1, and
47085.4.
References
Most of the information was collected during the 1989 year by the author or taken from the Minutes of
the Mississippi Gulf Fishing Banks. Pre-1989 structure measurements were obtained from the Minutes.
The 1987 and 1988 measurements were taken by Steve W. West. The 1984, 1985, and 1986
measurements were taken by Ronald R. Lukens.
The Sonar pictures were reproduced from special report No. 2-WB of the GSMFC (Gulf States Marine
Fisheries Commission) titled "Two Methods of Monitoring and Assessment of Artificial Reef
Materials". The authors were Ronald R. Lukens of the GSMFC, John D. Cirino of the Mississippi
Bureau of Marine Resources, J.A. Ballard of MAR, Inc., and Glenn Geddes of MAR, Inc. It was
conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Fisheries, Project No.
14-16-0009-88-1220. The GSMFC address is P.O. Box 726, Ocean Springs, MS 39564.
Mississippi Gulf Fishing Banks' 1990 Board of Directors
Person Representation
Steve F. West Chamber of Commerce
Dr. James Coe Commercial Fishermen
Craig Gusa Charter Boats
Mark P. Miller Jackson County
Kenny Barhonovich Tourism
Mike Hill Private Boat Owners
Ann McCaughan Member at Large
David Burrage Member at Large
Steve W. West Member at Large
Officers Office
Dr. James Coe - President
Mark P. Miller - Vice-President
Kenny Barhonovich - Treasurer
Ann McCaughan - Secretary
This Reports Author
Mark P. Miller is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Mississippi. He originally pursued
a career in the Marine Sciences but opted for engineering for reasons of economics. He is a 1978 honor
graduate from Pascagoula High School and received his Electrical Engineering degree with honors from
Mississippi State University in 1984 while in the cooperative work plan with Singing River Electric
Power Association. He is presently an Engineer with SREPA. His specialty is Power Systems and
Microcomputers. A microcomputer was used to produce this report and many of the charts it contains.
He may be contacted at the following address.
Mark P. Miller
4500 Scarlet Oaks Dr.
Gautier, MS 39553.
601-497-6328