THE GREAT RED RIVER RAFT AND ITS SEDIMENTOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

The presence and clearing of the Red River Raft influenced the historic geomorphic evolution of the Red River and the Atchafalaya basin. The purpose of this document is to present a review and description of the historic and current geomorphic evolution of the Red River to the development and removal of the raft.

The Red River raft was a logjam believed to have developed around 2000 years ago as the Mississippi River avulsed east capturing the Red River. A knick point developed and migrated north through the Red River promoting the growth of the raft. Several theories on how this raft developed include catastrophic flooding, climatic change and prehistoric human activities.

A time line of the raft evolution has been developed that show how it modified the geomorphic character of the Red River and how deeply connected it is with the history of the settlement in the red river valley