Archaeological Investigations Proposed Construction of Boat Ramp Ocmulgee River, Bibb County

DNR plans to construct a boat ramp and parking area on the Ocmulgee River in Bibb County. The project area lies on the east bank of the river adjacent to the railroad right of way at Bond Swamp. The Fisheries Management Section of the Wildlife Resources Division of Georgia DNR contacted the Office of the State Archaeologist, housed in the Historic Preservation Division of GaDNR, and requested an archaeological assessment of the project area. The project area lies on the Ocmulgee River floodplain a short distance below the Fall Line, where the Piedmont meets the Coastal Plain. Downstream of the fall line, stream valleys widen and streams meander through broad swampy floodplains. The floodplains are frequently inundated and although they were probably seasonally exploited, it is unlikely that permanent settlements would have been established there. Floodplains are not universally flat, and rises on the floodplains, such as levees and other alluvial landforms or erosional remnants, frequently contain archaeological sites. Sites are also common along the boundary between uplands and floodplains, an area that was well drained, relatively secure from flooding, and still provided access to both riverine and upland resources. The project area consists of just over two acres in a narrow strip of land that borders railroad property to the south and runs parallel to the railroad between Bondview Road (Bond Swamp Road on older maps) and the river. Vegetation within the tract is bottomland hardwoods, with a few large oaks that are probably over 100 years old. Scattered trees are ca. 40 years old, but the majority of the tract is covered in a dense thicket of young trees that are probably less than 15 years old. There are no stumps or logs on the ground, suggesting that the land was a field prior to the current growth of trees. There are several abandoned houses along Bondview Road east of the ramp site, so this area may have been farmed a few years ago. There is an old dirt road, currently restricted to foot traffic, leading through the tract to the river. The ramp will be located approximately 250' upstream of the rail bridge. The rail bridge is a rotating type that was installed to allow passage of river traffic. The proposed boat ramp will be located at a narrow sand bar, where the bank is lowest in the area. The parking area will lie along the road between the river and Bondview Road. This is a low-lying area of poorly drained soils. Ditches along Bondview contain water, and there is standing water near the south end of the tract where flood channels are most pronounced. The river surface is less than 5' below the land surface. There is no levee development or other higher ground present within the tract.