Houma Navigation Canal Deepening Project Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana: Cultural Resources Literature Search, Records Review and Research Design

摘要

From October through December of 2003, Coastal Environments, Inc. (CEI), conducted a cultural resources literature search and records review as part of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) New Orleans District re-evaluation study to determine if improvements to navigation along the Houma Navigation Canal, in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, are justified. These investigations are part of the planning to evaluate several alternatives to deepening the HNC from the authorized 15-foot depth to an 18- or 20-foot depth while maintaining the existing canal width. Both channel depths are being considered with a lock and without a lock in place. If the canal itself is assumed to be approximately 1000 ft (305m) wide, the HNC encompassed roughly 4969.69ac (2012.05ha), including 2909.09ac (1177.78ha) of canal and 2060.60ac (834.26ha) of navigation channel. Three previously recorded archaeological sites and 13 sunk or salvaged vessels exist within the project's Area of Potential Effects (APE). In addition, seven unrecorded sites and 23 potential site loci were noted on the HNC during the project area site inspection conducted during this study. Those portions of the project area with a high probability for containing cultural resources have been defined on project plans and encompass 691.48ac. A research design to guide future cultural resources fieldwork in the project area is presented.