Diver Hands-on Evaluation of Anomalies, proposed Brunswick Bird Island, Glynn County, Georgia

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District [USACE-S] is proposing to create a bird sanctuary using dredge spoil from channel maintenance in Brunswick Harbor in Glynn County, Georgia. The sanctuary will be approximately 1,400 feet long and 850 feet wide. In order to determine the proposed project’s effects on potentially significant submerged cultural resources, the USACE-S determined that a systematic remote sensing survey of the construction area would be necessary. That survey was conducted by Corps of Engineers personnel and revealed 17 potentially significant magnetic anomalies that would be affected by the planned dredging. In order to evaluate the significance of those targets and to assess the potential impacts from the proposed project, Gulf South Research Corporation [GSRC], under a Request for Proposals by the USACE-S, requested that Tidewater Atlantic Research, Inc. [TAR] of Washington, North Carolina conduct a target relocation and diver investigation of the 17 anomalies. Prior to the fieldwork, a program of historical and documentary research was conducted to provide a proper framework for submerged cultural resource assessment in the Brunswick / St. Simons area. Field research was conducted between 10 to 13 March 2002. The results of that investigation revealed that two of the anomalies (A and F) were sections of small diameter pipe, seven (B, D, E, H, M, P and Q) were identified as traps, three (C, N and O) were identified as rebar trap frames and one (K) was a small piece of iron. Four of the anomalies (G, I, J and L) could not be relocated. Because all of the located magnetic anomalies are associated with modern material, no further investigation is recommended in conjunction with the proposed project.