Search

Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District (SRP) plans to construct an 88-mile-long 500-kV extra-high voltage transmission line linking the Pinal West, Santa Rosa, Pinal Central, Abel, and Dinosaur substations (ACC CEC Case No. 126). This report presents the results of Phase I data recovery (extent testing) and Phase II data recovery within a 40-m- (130-ft-) wide corridor at seven sites located on State Trust Land administered by the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD) (ASLD ROW No. 16-112288) and at seven sites and nine loci on the Gila River floodplain that are on privately owned lands between Pinal Central and Dinosaur. The sites are situated in north-central Pinal County east of the town of Queen Creek, east of Coolidge; and southeast and south-south of Coolidge. Phase I data recovery investigations were undertaken at 14 sites: AZ AA:2:304 (ASM); AZ AA:2:305 (ASM), AZ AA:3:281, AZ U:10:20 (ASM), AZ U:14:417 (ASM), AZ U:15:1 (ASM)/Adamsville, AZ U:15:61 (ASM)/Frogtown, AZ U:15:97 (ASM), AZ U:15:264 (ASM), AZ U:15:276 (ASM), AZ U:15:296 (ASM), AZ U:15:432 (ASM), AZ U:15:559 (ASM), and AZ U:15:560 (ASM). The sites were previously recommended eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) (Henderson et al. 2009) and the investigations were undertaken to comply with the Arizona Antiquities Act, the State Historic Preservation Act, and as required by the Arizona Corporation Commission Certificate of Environmental Compatibility. Fieldwork methods followed those outlined in the treatment plans (Phase I and Phase II data recovery) developed to mitigate impacts to the sites (Lindeman 2009; Lindeman et al. 2009). Michael Foster, Ph.D. served as Principal Investigator, and field work was directed by J. Scott Courtright. This is Submittal 3 of the report.

This report presents the results of Class III cultural resources surveys conducted for the Palo Verde to Pinal West Transmission Line Project. The work was sponsored by Salt River Project (SRP) in support of two proposed 500 kV transmission lines that will connect the existing Hassayampa Switchyard, west of Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, and the proposed Pinal West Substation, western Pinal County, Arizona. The cultural resources studies described here include three previous archaeological surveys, which examined different portions of the transmission line corridor and the area of a proposed substation (Chapin-Pyritz and Hill 2002; Henderson 2005; Hill et al. 2003), and a fourth and final survey conducted by Desert Archaeology, Inc., of all remaining unsurveyed segments of the Palo Verde to Pinal West alignment and the proposed access road to Pinal West Substation. The surveys were undertaken to determine if significant cultural resources were present that might be adversely affected by construction of the proposed transmission lines and associated substation site. The effort was conducted to comply with the Arizona Antiquities Act of 1960 (as amended) and State Historic Preservation Act of 1982, as stipulated in conditions of a Certificate for Environmental Compatibility (Case No. 124, Docket No. L00000B-03-0124) issued by the Arizona Corporation Commission, and as required for right-of-way access across lands managed by the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD Right-of-Way Application No. 14-110986) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM EA No. AZ-020-2003-0045, Case File No. AZA-32057). In 2002, an initial Class III survey of the western portion of the proposed Palo Verde to Pinal West Transmission Line Project was completed by Chapin-Pyritz and Hill (2002). As a result of this work, 11 archaeological sites were documented within the transmission line corridor that ran from the Hassayampa Switchyard, south of the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, to the Jojoba Substation. In the following year, a second cultural resources survey was completed that examined areas of the Palo Verde to Pinal West transmission line corridor located on Arizona State Trust and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands east of the Jojoba Substation (Hill et al. 2003). Seven sites were recorded during this survey. More recently, Desert Archaeology conducted a cultural resources inventory of a 60-acre parcel for the proposed Pinal West Substation (Henderson 2005). No archaeological sites or other significant cultural properties were located during the survey of the substation site.

Greystone Environmental Consultants, Inc., on behalf of Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District (SRP), has developed this Class I Cultural Resources Inventory for the Pinal West to Southeast Valley/Browning 500 kV Project (Project) as part of the Certificate of Environmental Compatibility (CEC) Application. SRP contracted with Greystone Environmental Consultants, Inc. (Greystone) to complete the Class I report. The Project includes the construction of one single circuit 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission line in Pinal County, originating at the recently permitted Pinal West Substation near the Maricopa and Pinal County line southwest of the City of Maricopa and terminating at the proposed Southeast Valley (SEV) 500/230 kV Substation, which also includes the co-location of a proposed SRP RS-22 230/69 kV Substation, to be located in northeastern Pinal County. Generally, this proposed 500 kV line from Pinal West to the Browning Substation, and intermediate proposed substations, are identified as the Project. A Preferred Alignment is being proposed for the entire length of the Project. Preferred Alignment Alternatives include the Santa Cruz Wash, Eleven Mile Comer Road, and Attaway Road.

The following document presents the results of an intensive archaeological resources survey of construction access roads for the Mead to Phoenix 500kV Transmission Line Project (Mead to Phoenix Project). The survey constituted one phase of cultural resource compliance undertaken for this project by SWCA, Inc., Environmental Consultants (SWCA), for Salt River Project (SRP). Other phases include relocation and re-evaluation (Anduze and Sorrell 1995) of sites previously recorded during survey of the Mead to Phoenix right-of-way (Keller 1986); testing and data recovery at the Overkill Site (AZ M:7:48, ASM) (Anduze, Greenwald, and Walsh-Anduze 1994); surface collection at three sites (Purcell and Greenwald 1995); survey, instrument mapping, and archival studies (Purcell, Stein, and Greenwald 1993) and testing and data recovery at the Hackberry Townsite (Purcell, ed. 1995); and surveys for areas of expanded right-of-way to accommodate cable-pulling activities (Payton and Purcell 1995; Purcell 1994; Seymour and Purcell 1995). The survey was conducted as required under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), as amended, and the Arizona Antiquities Act. Western Area Power Administration (Western) was the lead agency, necessitating the inventory of privately owned lands.

An intensive archeological survey of about 7.7 mi. of Salt River Project (SRP) Coronado-Silverking 500 KV transmission line easement extending from just east of the Sitgreaves National Forest to the APS-SRP Joint Corridor was conducted by Museum of Northern Arizona archeologists in December, 1977. The survey was requested by Bettina Rosenberg, SRP Archeological Administrator, in a letter dated December 12, 1977. The survey was conducted and this report prepared under the stipulations and guidelines of the Cultural Resources Plan developed by the National Forest Service NFS) for the Coronado Project (1977). At the time of the survey, tower locations had not been plotted; therefore, the survey area consisted only of the 200 ft. right-of-way corridor. After tower locations have been determined as a result of consultations between SRP and the NFS, an archeological team will return to the field and survey the access roads and a 200 ft. radius around each tower. Field collection was not permitted by the Forest Service during this survey, so that in-depth lab analysis of the sites was not possible. Also, site interpretation on the basis of survey alone is usually questionable. However, background material concerning the environment and culture history of the project area may be found in the Environmental Impact Statement for the Coronado Station (Dames & Moore 1976).

On December 22, 1977, Lyle M. Stone of Archaeological Research Services performed a cultural resource evaluation of a 1.2 mile long road and an approximate 10 acre area. The road will be used for access to a 660 foot square temporary construction use area (Site 3) which is adjacent to the Kyrene to Silver King link of the Kyrene to Coronado 500 kV transmission line being constructed by Salt River Project. This evaluation was conducted on behalf of Salt River Project in order to determine if cultural resources (prehistoric or historic archaeological sites, historically or architecturally significant structures or buildings) existed either along the proposed access road route or within the construction use area which might be adversely affected by construction activities. No cultural resources were located during the course of these surveys. It is therefore recommended that archaeological clearance be granted since the proposed land-use activities will not adversely affect cultural resources.

An archaeological clearance survey has been carried out on a portion of land managed by Apache-Sitgreaves and Tonto National Forests for proposed tower changes on the Cholla-Saguaro 500 kV Transmission Line. The archaeological surveys were performed in accordance with the interim survey procedures outlined in the October 13, 1976 (2720/2360/ File) letter by Martin McAllister. It states that "access roads (14 feet wide) and a buffer zone of 50 feet on each side of the road will be surveyed" (Survey Procedure 1a). Moreover, "tower sites and a buffer zone consisting of the area within a radius of 200 feet around each tower site hub will be surveyed" (Survey Procedure 1b).

At the request of Salt River Project, the Museum of Northern Arizona conducted an archaeological survey of Tonto National Forest lands to be impacted by the construction of the Silverking to Kyrene 500 kV and 230 kV transmission lines near Superior, Arizona. The impact areas surveyed consist of tower anchoring locations, pulling locations, access roads, and a wire set-up location. What appeared to be prehistoric check dams were observed at the pulling location and designated site NA15,784. No other archaeological materials or features were observed in the impact areas. Therefore, if the check dams are avoided during construction, archaeological clearance can be recommended for those areas to be impacted. Two versions of the same report. Version 2 includes an updated survey and results section.

An intensive survey of approximately 67 km (42 mi) of transmission line right-of-way between Kyrene and the Tonto National Forest boundary was completed by a 3-man crew in 15 days. A total of 144 field numbers were assigned to cultural materials encountered, ranging from a single flake or sherd to a large site or component thereof. Material recovered is summarized in Table 1, and locations are plotted on accompanying aerial photos. Isolated artifacts and small scatters were collected; samples (1 m radius circles) were collected from larger sites in areas of maximum density of cultural material (MD). Two previously recorded sites and 15 newly designated sites are within or adjacent to the right- of-way. A clearance recommendation is conditional upon additional work at 9 of them. This work plan for additional investigations was prepared prior to completion of analysis of material collected on the survey and does not constitute a complete report of survey results. For example, no discussion of archaeological background or survey methodology is included. Specific proposals for further investigations are based largely on field evaluations of site significance and anticipated impact of construction. Results of both the survey and the additional investigation will be combined in a single report.

AZ U:11:23 is a small sherd and lithic scatter within the right-of-way of a 500 kV power transmission line planned by the Salt River Project. The right-of-way extends from the boundary of the Tonto National Forest northeast of Florence to the existing Kyrene substation south of Tempe, Arizona and was reported by Antieau (1977). This site was initially located during that survey and listed as Field Numher 128. Since the locus was on land belonging to the Bureau of Land Management, it was not collected by Antieau in compliance with the Bureau's regulation against surface collections during surveys. Subsequent to completion of Antieau's report, Bettina Rosenberg of the Salt River Project requested the Office of Cultural Resource Management, Department of Anthropology, Arizona State University, to proceed with an investigation of the site. The work was conducted by Dave Batcho, a graduate student in the Department of Anthropology, on March 31, 1978, under an antiquities permit from the Bureau of Land Management. The findings of that research are reported here. A review of the archaeological background and region of the study area can be found in Antieau (1977:1-7).

The Museum of Northern Arizona conducted an archaeological survey of proposed pulling locations and a sleeving location on the Tonto National Forest. Since no artifacts or sites were observed, clearance is recommended. This is a final report.