The Great Raft

This is a colorized photograph of an unusual geographic formation that no longer exists — but for hundreds of years, it marked a major river system in the southern part of the U.S.. Known as “the Great Raft”, it was a terrific log jam, made up of season upon season of washed-away trees. Cedar, cottonwood, and cypress were among the debris, carried off by the periodic flooding of the Red River in modern Louisiana.

The Great Raft probably began in the 1100s, with upstream and uprooted trees creating the initial blockage, but eventually the log jam extended for 165 miles. Over the centuries, it shaped the ecosystem around it, creating a number of deep lakes. Caddo, Cross, Wallace, Black Bayou and Bistineau are lakes that still exist, even though the Great Raft is gone. One group of American peoples, called the Caddo, were protected from European intrusion because of the Great Raft for 150 years (only establishing contact in 1691).

The Great Raft was destroyed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 19th century, an act heralded at the time by many who benefited from the easier water transport. However, the disruption to the environment was extreme — many of the regions’ lakes only survived because other human-made dams had to be built. By the early 20th century, there wasn’t even a demand for using the Red River for transport, because railroads had become the preferred means.