Investigate historic shipwrecks and archaeological sites from the Sonoma Coast lumber industry, shoreside ruins operations at Ft. Ross Cove

From August 1-9, 2016, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and California State Parks will co-investigate shipwrecks and Sonoma County "doghole port" archaeological sites associated with northern California's Redwood Coast lumber trade. Team members will use scuba and more traditional land survey techniques to document remnants of underwater infrastructure and on-shore lumber loading facilities. 

The Redwood Coast landscape is dotted with evidence of how the lumber trade adapted to the rugged marine environment allowing the business to flourish from the mid-19th century into the 20th century. The rugged coast had few roads and no long distance railroads, so the most cost effective way to move the lumber was by sea. Lumbering operations established sawmills along the shoreline at the few places where it was possible to temporarily anchor a vessel. These "doghole ports," so named because they were so small and exposed that mariners joked they were barely large enough for a dog to turn around, became centers of economic activity. Enterprising lumbermen rigged a network of chutes and cables extending from the bluffs down into small coves allowing lumber to be transferred from shore to a waiting vessel. 

This project will ultimately help in the creation of a maritime cultural landscape report, and a National Registe

r of Historic Places nomination for the Redwood Coast maritime landscape. 

Information from this project will be used to interpret the area's maritime heritage and will inform resource managers about the location and status of archaeological resources to enhance conservation and resource management efforts by NOAA's Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and California State Parks.

August 2, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. to Noon experts present on bluff overlook 

NOTE: operations can be viewed during all daylight hours 

James Delgado, Ph. D., Director, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Maritime Heritage Program;

Richard Fitzgerald/CSP, Director of State Archaeological Collections Research Facility

Breck Parkman/CSP Senior State Archaeologist, Sonoma-Mendocino Coast District

Other experts in the area's history and archaeology; Farallones and Ft. Ross Conservancy staff.

For project information, visit http://farallones.noaa.gov/heritage/doghole.html and http://farallones.noaa.gov/heritage/redwoodcoast.html

Directions and Parking: Fort Ross SHP, 19005 Coast Hwy, Jenner, CA 95450. Visit http://www.fortross.org/info.htm​