BRADWELL BAY WILDERNESS AND THE SOPCHOPPY RIVER WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, FLORIDA.

A survey to determine the mineral-resource potential, especially for oil, phosphate, fuller's earth, sand, and peat, was conducted in the Bradwell Bay Wilderness and the Sopchoppy River Wilderness Study Area, Florida. On the basis of this survey, the entire area was concluded to offer little promise for the occurrence of mineral resources except the commodity peat. Approximately 136,000 tons of demonstrated peat resources, on a dry weight basis, are available in areas of substantiated peat resource potential from bay swamps in the area, but the deposits are shallow and widespread. Large quantities of quartz sand are available in ancient beach ridges and in deposits that were originally laid down in a shallow nearshore marine environment.