This background study also instigated a closer examination of South Carolina's early site file system and identified various management problems which could be pertinent for future work on underwater sites. Reviews of unpublished literature about past archaeological surveys and state-sanctioned salvage projects were undertaken by SCIAA staff in an attempt to determine the extent of the usefulness of these records. Participating divers were involved in a range of tasks which included historical research, maintaining field notebooks, plotting sites on topography maps, cataloging and labeling artifacts, and compiling the final report. The artifact scatters were sampled and initial documentation was undertaken on the structural remains. These sites included prehistoric and historic artifact scatters, a dock structure, shipwrecks and a barge.
Second, to systematically locate and assess the underwater cultural resources in this historically significant two mile stretch of river. First, to involve divers in an avocational archaeology project with the idea of promoting diver education. The objectives of this project were two-fold. The Cooper River is one of the most popular recreational diving areas in the state. Guidance and advice was provided by the Sport Diver Archaeology Management Program (SDAMP) of South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA). Jimmy Moss from Abbeville, conducted a preliminary archaeological and historical survey the west branch of the Cooper River.