Archival Research, shoreline recording and documentation, and diver investigations were conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, for the New Cut Closure Project, located in Back River, Chatham County, Georgia, and Jasper County, South Carolina. The purpose of the study was to determine the significance of archaeological resources and the effect of the project upon them. The research was concentrated on sites and anomalies identified during a 1991 archaeological survey conducted by Tidewater Atlantic Research, Inc., subcontractor to Gulf Engineers and Consultants, Inc. A historic context was developed for 18th, 19th, and early 20th century Savannah River rice plantations and vessels associated with the rice industry. Historic overviews were prepared for individual plantations. Fifteen sites were investigated, several of which were recommended eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. Divers investigated the causes of 18 underwater anomalies. No effects from the New Cut Closure Project were identified and no further work was recommended as part of that project.
Principal authors of this report were Richard W. Leech, Jr., and Judy L, Wood. Gregory D. Cook, Kyra Bowling, and Taras Pevny assisted in the preparation of the archaeological site descriptions.
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