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GBPP (Gila Bend Power Partners) proposes to construct and operate a 500kV transmission line, which will deliver electrical power from the Hassayampa Switchyard south of Wintersburg, Arizona to the Jojoba Switchyard currently under construction in south-central Maricopa County, Arizona. The project will increase the transmission of electrical power into areas surrounding metropolitan Phoenix, and will promote economic development of benefit to the people of Arizona. GBPP retained EPG (Environmental Planning Group) to assist with the following: (1) preparation of an Environmental Assessment in support of a BLM (Bureau of Land Management) right-of-way grant, (2) an application to the Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee of the Arizona Corporation Commission for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility, (3) an application for an ASLD (Arizona State Land Department) right-of-way grant, and (4) an application for an USACE (U.S. Army Corp of Engineers) Section 404 permit. This report documents the results of the class I (records review) and class III (field inventory) cultural resource surveys conducted in support of the proposed transmission line project.

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.

As a result of a meeting October 4, 1976, with representative from Arizona Public Service, the Southwestern Regional Office of the U.S. Forest Service, Tonto and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, and the Arizona State Museum, it was decided that portions of the Cholla to Saguaro 500 kV transmission line should be checked and, if necessary, resurveyed to insure that all archaeological resources within the transmission line corridor are identified. This report concerns the results of checking and the subsequent resurvey of that portion of the line between towers APS 96 to APS 123 and SRP 124. This resurvey was performed in accordance with the survey procedures outlined in the October 13, 1976 letter (2720/2360/File) by Martin McAllister. It states that "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).The check and resurvey of this segment was conducted for the purposes of evaluating the adequacy of the initial survey and locating additional sites not covered by the initial survey. The nature of the survey, the findings of it, and recommendations are discussed below.

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.

In the spring of 1970, the Museum of Northern Arizona contracted with Arizona Public Service Company to provide archaeological investigations for the Navajo Project 500kV Southern Transmission Lines from Page to Phoenix, Arizona. The right-of-way, 330 feet wide and approximately 256 miles long, crossed four major environmental zones - plateau, mountain, transition, and desert - and portions of five prehistoric culture areas. Eighty-eight sites were recorded along the line, 20 of which were excavated. The excavated sites included two Kayenta Anasazi sites located in the northern portion of the transect, four Cohonina sites in the Williams-Flagstaff vicinity, two others of Cohonina affiliation near Prescott, nine atop Perry Mesa in the central part of the state, and three of Hohokam-like appearance below Perry Mesa toward Phoenix. The research in all five geographical culture areas was directed toward defining the ecological relationships between prehistoric peoples and their environments. Of particular interest were the investigations in the Cohonina and Perry Mesa areas, and a vessel function study which aided in inferring site organization and economy in all the culture areas. As all the sites excavated were small, the vessel study substantially supplemented the conclusions regarding site function derived from other analyses.