Attachment C Phase I Cultural Resources Survey
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ATTACHMENT C PHASE I CULTURAL RESOURCES SURVEY SWEETWATER AUTHORITY FINAL PHASE I CULTURAL RESOURCES INVENTORY FOR THE SWEETWATER AUTHORITY SWEETWATER DAM IMPROVEMENT PROJECT CHULA VISTA, SAN DIEGO COUNTY Submitted to: Sweetwater Authority 505 Garrett Avenue Chula Vista, California 91910 Submitted by: Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure, Inc. 3120 Chicago Avenue, Suite 110 Riverside, California 92507 Jesse Yorck, M.A., RPA – Principal Investigator Patricia Powless, M.A., RPA – Principal Investigator Trisha Drennan, MSc, RPA – Archaeologist November 2017 Amec Foster Wheeler Project No. 1315103913 ©2017 Amec Foster Wheeler. All Rights Reserved. USGS National City and Jamul Mountains, Calif. 7.5' quadrangle. Acreage: approximately 0.62 acres Keywords: Phase I cultural resources inventory, Sections 20 and 21 of T17S, R1W and un- sectioned portions of San Diego County, San Diego County, Sweetwater Dam (37-016325) Sweetwater Authority Final Phase I Cultural Resources Inventory for Sweetwater Dam Near Bonita, San Diego County, California Amec Foster Wheeler No. 1315103913 November 2017 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Between the months of January and March 2017, and at the request of Sweetwater Authority (Authority), Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure, Inc. (Amec Foster Wheeler) conducted a Phase I cultural resources inventory study for approximately 30.62 acres of developed and semi-developed land at the Sweetwater Reservoir in San Diego County, California. The subject property is located near the community of Bonita, north of California State Route (SR-) 125 and east of SR-54, in Sections 20 and 21 of T17S, R1W (and un- sectioned portions of San Diego County), San Bernardino Baseline and Meridian, as depicted in the U.S. Geological Survey National City and Jamul Mountains, California, 7.5’ quadrangle. The Authority is proposing to implement proposed maintenance and improvement activities at the Sweetwater Dam (Dam), the South Spillway, and the South Dike. The Phase I cultural resources inventory study was conducted on January 27, 2017, and covered the entire 30.62- acre survey area, except for a few areas to the southeast of the Dam, where steep slope gradients prohibited a pedestrian survey. The Authority is the lead agency for the Project and required the study to support the preparation of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)-compliant documentation for the proposed Project. The purpose of this Phase I cultural resources inventory study is to provide the Authority with the necessary information and analysis to determine whether the Project would cause a significant adverse impact to any “historical resources,” as defined by CEQA, that may exist in or around the Project area. In order to identify such resources, Amec Foster Wheeler conducted historical background research, completed an archaeological and historical resources records search, consulted with the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), and carried out a Phase I pedestrian field survey. Through the research approaches listed above, this study did encounter historical resources, as defined by CEQA, which include the previously documented features of the Dam (37-016325). As the proposed Project would involve only necessary safety and maintenance modifications to the Dam itself, the South Spillway, and the South Dike, the Project would not adversely alter those physical characteristics of the Dam that convey its historical significance and that justify its inclusion in, or eligibility for, inclusion in the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR) (14 California Code of Regulations [CCR] Section (§) 4852). Additionally, the Project follows the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties as it would entail the addition of in-kind earthen material to the South Dike, which is a normal and on-going aspect of levee safety and capacity compliance. The appearance and function of the Dam itself, the South Spillway, and the South Dike would not be substantially changed. The Project would consequently have a less than significant impact for the purposes of CEQA (14 CCR § 15126.4). Therefore, Amec Foster Wheeler recommends that the proposed Project would not cause a substantial adverse change to any historical resources and that no further cultural resource investigations are necessary at this time. Page ES-1 Sweetwater Authority Final Phase I Cultural Resources Inventory for Sweetwater Dam Near Bonita, San Diego County, California Amec Foster Wheeler No. 1315103913 November 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................ ES-1 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................1-1 2.0 NATURAL SETTING ...................................................................................................... 2-1 3.0 PREHISTORIC AND HISTORIC SETTING ................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Prehistoric Context ............................................................................................. 3-1 3.2 Ethnographic Context ......................................................................................... 3-3 3.3 Historic Context and Overview ........................................................................... 3-3 4.0 METHODS AND RESULTS ........................................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Record Search ................................................................................................... 4-1 4.2 Native American Heritage Commission Consultation ....................................... 4-10 4.3 Field Survey ..................................................................................................... 4-10 5.0 DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................. 5-1 5.1 Discussion .......................................................................................................... 5-1 5.2 Recommendations ............................................................................................. 5-2 6.0 REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................6-1 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Previous Cultural Resource Studies within the Scope of the Records Search ... 4-1 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Project Area Overview ........................................................................................ 1-2 Figure 2. Project Area, Detailing Separate Elements and Work Areas of the Sweetwater Dam ....................................................................................................................1-3 Figure 3. Photograph Showing the Sweetwater Dam and Spillway, View Southeast ........ 2-1 Figure 4. Photograph Showing the Dam’s North Parapet, View Northwest ....................... 2-2 Figure 5. Photograph Showing the South Dike, View Northeast ....................................... 2-2 Figure 6. Previous Cultural Resources Studies Within the Scope of the Record Search, Listed by Report Number (1 of 2). ...................................................................... 4-8 Figure 7. Previous Cultural Resources Studies Within the Scope of the Record Search, Listed by Report Number (2 of 2). ...................................................................... 4-9 LIST OF APPENDICES APPENDIX A PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS APPENDIX B PREVIOUSLY RECORDED CULTURAL RESOURCES Page i Sweetwater Authority Final Phase I Cultural Resources Inventory for Sweetwater Dam Near Bonita, San Diego County, California Amec Foster Wheeler No. 1315103913 November 2017 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS % Percent § Section ACHP Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Amec Foster Wheeler Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure, Inc. APE Area of Potential Effect Authority Sweetwater Authority CCR California Code of Regulations CEQA California Environmental Quality Act CRHP California Register of Historic Places CRHR California Register of Historical Resources Dam Sweetwater Dam DNA deoxyribonucleic acid MSL mean sea level NAHC Native American Heritage Commission NC&O National City and Otay NHPA National Historic Preservation Act NRHP National Register of Historic Places ºF Fahrenheit PRC Public Resources Code SCIC South Coastal Information Center SR- State Route Page ii Sweetwater Authority Final Phase I Cultural Resources Inventory for Sweetwater Dam Near Bonita, San Diego County, California Amec Foster Wheeler No. 1315103913 November 2017 1.0 INTRODUCTION Between the months of January and March 2017, and at the request of Sweetwater Authority (Authority), Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure, Inc. (Amec Foster Wheeler) performed a Phase I cultural resources inventory study on approximately 30.62 acres of developed and semi-developed land within the Sweetwater Reservoir property, in San Diego County, California. The subject property is located near the community of Bonita, north of California State Route (SR-) 125 and east of SR-54, in Sections 20 and 21 of T17S, R1W (and un-sectioned portions of San Diego County), San Bernardino Baseline and Meridian, as depicted in the U.S. Geological Survey National City and Jamul Mountains, Calif., 7.5’ quadrangle (see Figure 1). The study is being conducted as a part of the environmental review process for the proposed maintenance of, and improvements to, the Sweetwater Dam