ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION for the RUGGED SOLAR PROJECT, 3300 12-007 (MUP) ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROJECT NUMBER 3910-120005 SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION for the RUGGED SOLAR PROJECT, 3300 12-007 (MUP) ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROJECT NUMBER 3910-120005 SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Lead Agency: County of San Diego Planning & Development Services Contact: Donna Beddow 5510 Overland Ave, Suite 110 San Diego, California 92123 Preparers: Adam Giacinto, M.A., RPA Brad Comeau, M.Sc., RPA Micah J. Hale, Ph.D., RPA Ian Scharlotta, Ph.D. James T. Daniels, Jr., M.A., RPA Sarah Stringer Bowsher With contributions by Jerry Schaefer, Jennifer Krintz, and Scott Bigney Approved by: Dudek 605 Third Street Encinitas, California 92024 760.942.5147 Prepared for: Rugged Solar Farm, LLC 4250 Executive Drive, Suite 770 La Jolla, California, 92037 December 2013 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL DATABASE INFORMATION ................................. ix LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................... xi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... xiii 1.0 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project Description .................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Existing Conditions ................................................................................................... 9 1.2.1 Environmental Setting ............................................................................................... 9 1.2.2 Cultural Setting ........................................................................................................ 10 1.2.3 Record Search Results ............................................................................................. 20 1.3 Applicable Regulations ........................................................................................... 31 1.3.1 California Register of Historic Resources and CEQA ............................................. 31 1.3.2 San Diego County Local Register of Historical Resources ..................................... 33 1.3.3 County Of San Diego Resource Protection Ordinance (RPO) ................................ 33 2.0 GUIDELINES FOR DETERMINING SIGNIFICANCE .................................. 35 3.0 RESEARCH DESIGN ........................................................................................... 37 3.1 Management Concerns and Potential Regional Research Topics ........................... 37 3.1.1 Integrity .................................................................................................................... 37 3.1.2 Chronological Placement ......................................................................................... 38 3.1.3 Settlement and Site Function ................................................................................... 39 3.1.4 Subsistence ............................................................................................................... 40 3.1.5 Native American Heritage Values ........................................................................... 41 4.0 ANALYSIS OF PROJECT EFFECTS ................................................................ 43 4.1 Methods ................................................................................................................... 43 4.1.1 Survey Methods ....................................................................................................... 43 4.1.2 Test Methods ............................................................................................................ 44 4.1.3 Laboratory and Cataloging Procedures .................................................................... 48 4.1.4 Curation.................................................................................................................... 48 4.1.5 Native American Participation ................................................................................. 49 4.2 Results ..................................................................................................................... 49 4.2.1 Test Results .............................................................................................................. 49 4.2.2 Field Results from Sites within the Proposed APE ................................................. 51 4.2.3 Field Results from Sites within Avoidance Areas ................................................. 110 Rugged Solar Evaluation i Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Chapter Page 5.0 INTERPRETATION OF RESOURCE IMPORTANCE AND IMPACT IDENTIFICATION ............................................................................ 115 5.1 Resource Importance and Management Concerns ................................................ 115 5.1.1 Integrity of Tested Sites ......................................................................................... 126 5.1.2 Chronological Placement of Tested Sites .............................................................. 127 5.1.3 Site Function of Tested Sites ................................................................................ 128 5.1.4 Cultural Landscape ................................................................................................ 132 5.1.5 Native American Heritage Values of Tested Sites ................................................ 134 5.1.6 Resource Importance and Evaluation of Tested Sites ............................................ 135 5.2 Impact Identification ............................................................................................. 135 6.0 MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATION – MITIGATION MEASURES AND DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................. 137 6.1 Unavoidable Impacts ............................................................................................. 137 6.1.1 Mitigation Measures and Design Considerations .................................................. 137 6.2 Mitigatable Impacts ............................................................................................... 137 6.2.1 Mitigation Measures and Design Considerations .................................................. 137 6.3 Effects Found Not to be Significant ...................................................................... 145 7.0 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................... 147 8.0 LIST OF PREPARERS AND PERSON AND ORGANIZATIONS CONTACTED .................................................................. 163 9.0 LIST OF MITIGATION MEASURES AND DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS ........................................................................... 165 APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................... 167 A XRF Obsidian Sourcing Study by Scott Bigny of ASM Affiliates, Inc. B Confidential Figures and Maps C DPR Site Record Updates D Cumulative Impacts E Tule Wind Project Site Evaluations F NAHC and Information Center Records Search Results G Rugged Solar Laboratory Analyses H Phase II Cultural Resources Identified Outside of MUP Limits Rugged Solar Evaluation ii Table of Contents LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1.1 Regional Map .......................................................................................................... 3 Figure 1.2 Vicinity Map ........................................................................................................... 4 Figure 1.3 Site Plan .................................................................................................................. 5 Figure 4.1 Study Area ............................................................................................................ 45 Figure 4.2 Map showing the areas surveyed for the off-site improvements not previously surveyed during the Phase I investigation ........................................... 50 Figure 4.3 Location of isolates recorded during the investigation of the Rugged Solar off-site improvements ....................................................... Confidential Appendix B Figure 4.4 Sites within the current project area and current project design ..................................................................... Confidential Appendix B Figure 4.4a Archaeological sites within current project area. ............... Confidential Appendix B Figure 4.4b Isolates within current project area .................................... Confidential Appendix B Figure 4.5 Previous investigations at SDI-4788 during the Tule Wind Project .............................................................. Confidential Appendix B Figure 4.6 Distribution of artifacts on the surface of SDI-4788 during the current evaluation...............................................................Confidential Appendix B Figure 4.7 North facing overview of SDI-4788.20647 and milling station within southeastern portion of the site ............................................................................. 54 Figure 4.8 Placement of excavations during the current evaluation of SDI-4788 ....................................................................... Confidential Appendix B Figure 4.9 South facing overview of SDI-4788.20647 from the location of STU-1 ............. 56 Figure 4.10 East wall profile of STU-2 and STU-2B at SDI-4788/20647 ............................... 57 Figure 4.11 Photographic overview of SDI-5171, view to the east.