Great Raft facts for kids
| Date | c. 12th century – 1838 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Red and Atchafalaya Rivers |
| Location | North America |
| Type | Log jam |
Imagine a huge traffic jam, but instead of cars, it's made of trees! The Great Raft was a massive pile of logs and debris that blocked parts of the Red River and Atchafalaya River in North America. It was so big, it was like a giant floating island. Nothing else like it has been seen on this continent.
Contents
How the Great Raft Formed
The Great Raft started forming a very long time ago, possibly around the 12th century (that's the 1100s!). It grew longer and longer from its upper end. At the same time, parts of it would break off or decay at the lower end.
By the early 1830s, this natural log jam stretched for over 160 miles (about 257 kilometers). At one point, it was 165 miles (about 265 kilometers) long, reaching from Loggy Bayou to Carolina Bluffs. The local Caddo tribe even had stories about the Great Raft. They believed it protected them from other tribes. It also helped make the land fertile for farming by causing floods now and then.
What the Raft Was Like
At the start of the 1800s, the raft reached from Campti, Louisiana, to near Shreveport, Louisiana. It completely blocked the entrance to a smaller waterway called Twelve Mile Bayou. This made it hard for people to settle in the area west of Shreveport. There were also many smaller log jams along the Red River.
The raft caused the river banks to rise. This created new waterways called bayous and several lakes. These lakes are known as the Great Raft Lakes. Two famous ones are Caddo Lake and Cross Lake. They formed along the smaller rivers that flow into the Red River.
Clearing the Great Raft
In the 1830s, a clever steamboat builder and river captain named Henry Miller Shreve (1785–1851) began a huge project. He started systematically removing the Great Raft. Others continued his work until the late 1800s. Because of his amazing efforts, the city of Shreveport was named after him.
When Captain Shreve began, the raft was blocking the river for about 8 miles (13 kilometers) below Shreveport. It also blocked 17 miles (27 kilometers) directly above the city. By April 1835, Shreve had cleared the raft all the way up to Twelvemile Bayou. He finished this massive job in 1838. This meant the Red River was finally clear for boats to travel on.
A Second Raft Appears
Even though Captain Shreve had completely cleared the original raft, another one soon started forming. This new raft appeared farther up the river. Its beginning was near where the old raft had ended, close to a place called Belcher, Louisiana today. This second raft slowly grew until it reached the Arkansas state line. In 1873, Lieutenant Eugene Woodruff successfully removed this new raft as well.
Impact of the Raft's Removal
Removing these giant log jams had a big effect on the rivers. It sped up how quickly the Mississippi River's water flowed into the Atchafalaya River. The Atchafalaya is a major branch of the Mississippi that flows separately into the Gulf of Mexico. Because of this change, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had to build a huge structure. It's called the Old River Control Structure and cost billions of dollars to build.
