The Great Raft was an enormous log jam or series of "rafts" that clogged the Red and Atchafalaya rivers in North America from perhaps the 12th century until its removal in the 1830s. It was unique in North America in terms of its scale.

Mar 20, 2018 · At its peak, this log jam—known as the Great Raft—extended for 165 miles (265 km) clogging the lower part of the river in what is now Northwest Louisiana and Northeast Texas. The Great Raft began forming sometime around the beginning of the last millennium.

Sep 11, 2023 · The Great Raft of the Red River: A Massive Log Jam with its own Eco System Not-so-natural Disasters Two of the greatest man-made natural disasters occurred along the Red River Valley. One was Dallas' decision to practice flood control on the Trinity River.

Aug 2, 2022 · During Louisiana’s early history, the Red River between Shreveport and Natchitoches was clogged with a logjam so immense it was known as the ‘Great Raft’. Those logs were sometimes dozens of feet deep and even had plants and trees growing on top of them.

The Great Raft of the Red River, a massive log jam, prevented steam boats and navigation until removals, with unintended consequences.

Aug 4, 2009 · When the Freeman-Custis Expedition explored the Red River in 1806, it became apparent that the river’s odd features hampered its commercial potential. A massive log jam known as the Great River...

Sep 19, 2023 · For millennia, the Great Red River Raft, a massive log jam, created a back log of water above Natchitoches. It fed the many lakes that once dominated the landscape of northwestern Louisiana.

Jan 15, 2015 · Known as the “Superintendent of the Western Waters” for his success in clearing the western rivers of obstructions to navigation, Shreve saw the “Great Raft” —the massive logjams that clogged the Red River north from Natchitoches for more than 400 miles upriver—as a challenge to his ingenuity.

Nov 13, 2019 · The name ‘The Great Raft’ was deemed after washed-out, dead trees created an immense log jam that built up over almost 800 years along the Red River. However, it wasn’t until the 1830s when...

Jun 24, 2023 · The “raft” was formed over thousands of years as the flood waters of the Mississippi River would engulf the smaller Red River forcing large amounts of driftwood upstream. The result was a tremendous log jam comprised of cedar, cypress, and petrified wood.