Chattahoochee National Recreation Area Proposed Research Design and Archeological Overview

In September of 1970, the Secretary of the Interior announced the study of fourteen major areas with recreational potential in Metropolitan locations around the country. The Chattahoochee River near Atlanta, Georgia was selected in order to provide public outdoor recreational opportunity near this metropolitan center and at the same time protect a portion of the rapidly decreasing open space available for outdoor recreation. Because the Chattahoochee River and adjacent lands represent the only remaining opportunity to provide an area for natural resource based outdoor recreation activities in the Atlanta area, positive action has been taken to protect this unique natural corridor. On August 15, 1978 Congress passed and the President of the United States signed Public Law 95-344 which created the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area, a 48 mile long, 2 mile wide stretch of river which extends north from Peachtree Creek upstream to Buford Dam. Within this corridor, thirteen strategic segments of land will be implemented in a multicomponent recreational plan. Access areas to the river will be developed with boat ramps, parking lots and sanitary facilities, while much of the remainder of the corridor will be left in its natural state. Within the corridor, much of the natural terrain and vegetation representative of the southern Piedmont remains as it was prior to the founding of Atlanta and subsequent development. The natural drainage patterns remain essentially unchanged and vegetative communities are in many cases undisturbed. Numerous archeological sites are also located within the corridor. Reported sites include Paleo-Indian, Archaic, Woodland and historic sites. Rock-shelters, fish weirs and Civil War remains are also present. Two historic Indian villages, Standing Peachtree and Suwannee Old Town and an historic industrial complex, Sope Creek, are also within the corridor. This archeological overview and general research design represents Phase I of the Cultural Resource Inventory of this new park. Phase II will consist of the field investigations and the final phase, III, will produce recommendations to management and a written report which will disseminate the archeological data to the professional community, Park managers and planners. This research is being conducted in compliance with Executive Order 11593 which directs federal agencies to locate, inventory, and evaluate for significance the cultural resources within their control.