A Cultural Resource Survey for a Meteorological Station at Zuni Salt Lake in Catron County, New Mexico

Salt River Project (SRP) proposes to construct a meteorological station with associated overhead electric and buried telephone lines at Zuni Salt Lake to monitor atmospheric conditions south of the Fence Lake Transportation Corridor. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Las Cruces District, Socorro Resource Area is the lead agency for cultural resources. The buried telephone line will extend from an existing buried line adjacent to NM State Route 32, 33 feet (10 m) to the station and the overhead electric line will extend from a pole at an existing overhead line to the south, 330 feet (100 m) to the station. SRP required a width of 100 feet (30 m) for the right-of-way (ROW) easement for the station and utility lines to allow for any construction impacts and any future modifications. SWCA, Inc. Environmental Consultants (SWCA), was contracted by Salt River Project to conduct a cultural resource survey of this portion of Site LA 31800 because this site has not been recorded in detail. Field work was conducted by SWCA archaeologist Richard A. Anduze on September 14 and December 14, 1994. The proposed project centerline was delineated with pink flagging tape by SRP Engineer Kenneth W. Rodgers, who accompanied Anduze in the field. An area of 1.75 acres was inventoried.