Historic Navigation and Shipwreck Study, Lower Atchafalaya Basin Re- Evaluation Study, South Central Louisiana

摘要

The history of navigation and watercraft use within the Atchafalaya Basin of Louisiana and adjacent coastal areas and the Gulf of Mexico is presented. The types of vessels used, their cargoes and the routes they traveled from 1718 to the present are discussed. An inventory of reported shipwrecks in the study area, consisting of 295 entries, has been compiled and the characteristics of these losses are discussed. The geological history of the region is summarized and the post-sinking impacts to shipwrecks resulting from natural and cultural processes are analyzed. A synthesis of the collected information is presented in the form of probability statements for the occurrence of historic boat wrecks along the waterways of the study area. General recommendations for the treatment and management of shipwrecks are presented.