Historic Property Survey Report for the Italian Bar Bridge Project, Fresno and Madera Counties, California Prepared By: Adrian Whitaker, Ph.D. Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Inc. July 2014 Submitted to: Area West Environmental, Inc. 7006 Anice St. Orangevale, CA 95662 FAR WESTERN ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESEARCH GROUP, INC. 2727 Del Rio Place, Suite A, Davis, California, 95618 http://www.farwestern.com 530-756-3941 Historic Property Survey Report for the Italian Bar Bridge Project, Fresno and Madera Counties, California Prepared By: Adrian Whitaker, Ph.D. Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Inc. July 2014 Submitted to: Area West Environmental, Inc. 7006 Anice Street Orangevale, CA 95662 TABLE OF CONTENTS HISTORIC PROPERTY SURVEY REPORT FORM ATTACHMENTS Attachment 1: Project Vicinity, Location, and Area of Potential Effects Maps Attachment 2: California Historic Bridge Inventory Sheet Attachment 3: Archaeological Survey Report (Whitaker 2014) State of California Transportation Agency Department of Transportation HISTORIC PROPERTY SURVEY REPORT 1. UNDERTAKING DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION Federal Project. Number. District County Location (Prefix, Agency Code, Project No.) 6 FRE BRLO-5942(214) Italian Bar Road at Redinger Lake, Fresno and Madera Counties Project Description: The County of Fresno is proposing the Italian Bar Bridge Project, which would replace the existing five-span steel girder and steel truss structure (Bridge No. 42C-0261) over Redinger Lake (part of the San Joaquin River). The project is located on Italian Bar Road, approximately 6.1 miles south of Mammoth Road, and the approximate centerline of the river serves as the boundary between Fresno and Madera Counties (see Attachment 1, Figures 1 and 2). The original bridge crossing the San Joaquin River along Italian Bar Road was constructed in 1925 as a three-span structure consisting of one 98-foot steel truss and two 27.5-foot steel girder spans. The steel truss segment was used to span the deep, low-flow portion of the river. In 1951, these three spans were relocated approximately 25 feet downstream to form most of the existing five-span structure present today. According to the Caltrans “Historical Significance-Local Agency Bridges” list, this bridge is ineligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (National Register). The existing steel truss is structurally deficient with a 2013 sufficiency rating of 6.0 and has load carrying capacity restrictions. It cannot be widened to current standards; thus, a replacement bridge is required. Closing the bridge for construction would require a 35-mile detour over Big Creek Dam Bridge (No. 7 104-022) to the west. Given the low speeds of this route, as well as the mountainous terrain, it is anticipated that this detour will take approximately 1.5 hours to complete. Because of this lengthy time period, it is recommended to replace the bridge on a new alignment to avoid lengthy road closures. Proposed Bridge There are existing rocky mounds adjacent to the roadway on both sides of the bridge. The outcropping on the north side is up to 50 feet taller than the one on the south side. As a result, realignment of the bridge to the downstream side is preferred to minimize the amount of rock excavation. The new bridge would be approximately 200 feet long and would span the low- flow portion of the river. Foundation construction will consist of either spread footings (which would result in 10-20 feet of excavation) or cast-in-drilled hole piles not more than 50-70 feet deep. Curb-to-curb bridge width will be no less than 22 feet, following American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials requirements. Additional right-of-way will be required for the southern roadway approach, and existing overhead utility lines may need to be relocated. Seven potential staging areas have been identified on either side of the road (see Attachment 1, Figure 3). [HPSR form rev 01-13-14] Caltrans, Division of Environmental Analysis. Copyright © 2014 State of California. All rights reserved. Page 1 State of California Transportation Agency Department of Transportation HISTORIC PROPERTY SURVEY REPORT 2. AREA OF POTENTIAL EFFECTS The Area of Potential Effects (APE) for the project was established in consultation with Jeff Sorensen, District 6 Environmental Planner; Mohammad Amini, District 6 Environmental Planner; Thomas Glaski, District 6 Local Assistance Engineer; and Jim Perrault, District 6 Local Assistance Engineer, on July 23, 2013. The APE maps are included as Attachment 1, Figure 3 in this Historic Property Survey Report. The APE was established as both northern and southern approaches to the bridge with a sufficient buffer to include the possibility of construction both east and west of the current alignment. Ridgetops on either side of the bridge are included to account for potential road realignment and utility relocation. Seven potential staging areas are also included (see Figure 3). The vertical APE is assumed to be no greater than five feet below current ground surface in all areas except the footprint of the new bridge, where piles and footings may be installed at a depth of 10 to 70 feet. 3. CONSULTING PARTIES / PUBLIC PARTICIPATION X Native American Tribes, Groups and Individuals Ms. Elizabeth Hutchings Kipp, Chairperson of the Big Sandy Rancheria, was sent a letter on April 22, 2014. Principal Investigator Adrian Whitaker followed up with a telephone call and an email on May 20, 2014. He left a message with the tribal EPA officer and received no response; the email bounced back as undeliverable. Mr. Robert Ledger, Chairperson, Dumna Wo-Wah Tribal Government, was sent a letter on April 22, 2014. Principal Investigator Adrian Whitaker followed up with a telephone call and an email on May 20, 2014. Mr. Whitaker left a message on the answering machine of Dumna Wo-Wah Tribal Government (same number as Eric Smith and John Ledger). Mr. Ledger did not respond to either the email or the voicemail. Mr. Eric Smith, Dumna Wo-Wah Tribal Government, was sent a letter on April 22, 2014. Principal Investigator Adrian Whitaker followed up with a telephone call and an email on May 20, 2014. Mr. Whitaker left a message on the answering machine of Dumna Wo-Wah Tribal Government (same number as Robert and John Ledger). Mr. Smith did not respond to either the email or the voicemail. Mr. John Ledger, Chairperson, Dumna Wo-Wah Tribal Government, was sent a letter on April 22, 2014. Principal Investigator Adrian Whitaker followed up with a telephone call and an email on May 20, 2014. Mr. Whitaker left a message on the answering machine of Dumna Wo-Wah Tribal Government (same number as Eric Smith and Robert Ledger). Mr. Ledger did not respond to either the email or the voicemail. Mr. Robert Marquez, Chairperson, Cold Springs Rancheria of Mono Indians, was sent a letter on April 22, 2014. Principal Investigator Adrian Whitaker followed up with a telephone call May 20, 2014. During this call Mr. Marquez stated that he had no information on the area or comment on the project. Mr. Lawrence Bill, Interim Chairperson, Sierra Nevada Native American Coalition, was sent a letter on April 22, 2014. Principal Investigator Adrian Whitaker followed up with a telephone call May 20, 2014. During this call Mr. Bill expressed a belief that the entirety of the San Joaquin River corridor was sacred and requested that someone from the Sierra Nevada Native American Coalition be present to monitor construction. [HPSR form rev 01-13-14] Caltrans, Division of Environmental Analysis. Copyright © 2014 State of California. All rights reserved. Page 2 State of California Transportation Agency Department of Transportation HISTORIC PROPERTY SURVEY REPORT Mr. Ron Good, Chairperson, North Fork Mono Tribe, was sent a letter on April 22, 2014. Principal Investigator Adrian Whitaker followed up with a telephone call May 20, 2014, and left a message on Mr. Good’s voicemail. This call has not been returned. Mr. Bob Pennell, Table Mountain Rancheria, was sent a letter on April 22, 2014. Principal Investigator Adrian Whitaker followed up with a telephone call on May 20, 2014. Mr. Pennell stated that the project was not within the tribe’s area. Ms. Leann Walker Grant, Table Mountain Rancheria, was sent a letter on April 22, 2014. Principal Investigator Adrian Whitaker followed up with a telephone call on May 20, 2014. Mr. Pennell, speaking on behalf of the Table Mountain Rancheria, stated that the project was not within the tribe’s area. Ms. Mandy Marine, Dunlap Band of Mono Historic Preservation Society, was sent a letter and an email on April 22, 2014. Principal Investigator Adrian Whitaker followed up with a telephone call on May 20, 2014. Ms. Marine had no comment on the project. Mr. Jerry Brown, Chowchilla Tribe of Yokuts, was sent a letter on April 22, 2014. Principal Investigator Adrian Whitaker followed up with a telephone call on May 20, 2014, but Mr. Brown’s voicemail memory was full. No response has been received to date from Mr. Brown. X Native American Heritage Commission A letter was sent to the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) on April 18, 2014; No sacred Native American sites were identified in a search of the Sacred Lands file by the NAHC on April 22, 2014 (Attachment III, Appendix B). The NAHC provided a list of 11 Native American individuals who are listed as interested parties. X Local Historical Society/ Historic Preservation Group JRP Historical Consulting, LLC, (JRP) sent a letter on June 20, 2014, to the