Roberts Bank Archaeological Overview Assessment and Archaeological Impact Assessment Permit 2004-100 Prepared for: Vancouver Port Authority 2700 Granville Square, 200 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 2P9 In partial fulfilment of: Permit 2004-100 By: Millennia Research Limited 510 Alpha Street Victoria, BC V8Z 1B2 (250) 360-0919 November 13, 2004 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Millennia Research Limited was contracted by Vancouver Port Authority (VPA) to conduct an Archaeological Overview and Archaeological Impact Assessment for the Roberts Bank Deltaport Third Berth Expansion. The goal of this review is to provide the Roberts Bank Environmental Assessment Team with archaeological, historical, and traditional use information that will be instrumental in preparing the overall CEAA/BCEAA Environmental Assessment report for the project. This heritage review fulfils the requirements of a provincial Archaeological Overview Assessment and an Archaeological Impact Assessment as outlined in the BC Archaeological Impact Assessment Guidelines (British Columbia Archaeology Branch 1998). Three archaeological sites have been recorded in the vicinity of the proposed development area: DgRs-2, DgRs-9, and DgRs-11. None are in conflict. On the tidal flats crossed by the Roberts Bank causeway there is a high potential for the remains of very large sturgeon fish traps. These would take the form of rows of wooden stakes several hundred metres long. Ethnographic information suggests these traps were far out on the tidal flats. However, it is unlikely that these traps were as far out as the dredging and landfill comprising the Deltaport Third Berth. On land, there is potential for archaeological remains of campsites associated with fishing, travel, cranberry harvesting, water fowl harvesting, and game hunting; duck net poles and facilities, and fish traps and other forms of wet sites in the former slough and stream channels. Areas where the proposed rail expansion crosses former slough and stream channels have the highest potential. Areas with the potential for archaeological conflicts had an Archaeological Inventory and Impact Assessment (AIA) conducted under Provincial Heritage Conservation Act (HCA) Section 14 Permit 2004-100. No archaeological remains were found in the uplands portion of the development and only one area, the former Cohilukthan Slough, retains sufficient potential to require archaeological monitoring should development proceed here. Otherwise, no further archaeological work is recommended for the uplands. Roberts Bank Container Expansion Project ii Millennia Research Ltd. Deltaport Third Berth 2004 Archaeological Overview and Impact Assessment The developments proposed for the intertidal flats appear to be so far from shore that there is almost no chance of impacting any archaeological remains of sturgeon weirs. The area closer to shore along the causeway retains the potential for these remains, but any remains are probably deeply buried by recent silt deposition, and there are no plans for further development here. No further archaeological work is recommended for the current intertidal and subtidal project areas. Roberts Bank Container Expansion Project iii Millennia Research Ltd. Deltaport Third Berth 2004 Archaeological Overview and Impact Assessment CREDITS Authors and GIS Morley Eldridge, MA, RPCA Armando Anaya-Hernandez, PhD Research Assistant Ivan Casselman, BA Field Crew Fraeser Bak and Logan Forgo Tsawwassen First Nation Roberts Bank Container Expansion Project iv Millennia Research Ltd. Deltaport Third Berth 2004 Archaeological Overview and Impact Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................. ii CREDITS.......................................................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................. v LIST OF PLATES ........................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ vii 1 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 SCOPE AND REPORT ORGANIZATION .....................................................................................................1 2 ARCHAEOLOGICAL OVERVIEW ASSESSMENT ............................................... 2 2.1 SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................................2 2.2 PROPOSED PROJECT...............................................................................................................................2 Marine Works ........................................................................................................................................3 Road and Rail Infrastructure.................................................................................................................3 2.3 GENERAL STUDY AREA .........................................................................................................................3 2.4 PALAEOENVIRONMENT..........................................................................................................................4 2.4.1 Sea Level and Shoreline Changes.................................................................................................6 2.5 THE CENTRAL COAST SALISH ...............................................................................................................8 2.5.1 Social Organization ......................................................................................................................8 2.5.2 Settlement Patterns and Subsistence Activities .............................................................................9 2.5.3 The Tsawwassen of Point Roberts Area......................................................................................10 2.5.4 Musqueam Use of the Area.........................................................................................................11 2.6 HISTORY OF RESEARCH IN ARCHAEOLOGY .........................................................................................11 2.6.1 Previous Archaeological Research.............................................................................................17 2.7 KNOWN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES .......................................................................................................18 2.8 POTENTIAL FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES...........................................................................................19 Roberts Bank Container Expansion Project v Millennia Research Ltd. Deltaport Third Berth 2004 Archaeological Overview and Impact Assessment 2.9 UNDERWATER AND INTERTIDAL POTENTIAL, VICINITY OF CAUSEWAY ................................................19 2.10 SHORELINE POTENTIAL .....................................................................................................................20 2.11 INLAND POTENTIAL ...........................................................................................................................22 2.12 IMPACT ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................................25 2.12.1 Terminal Dredging and Landfill...............................................................................................25 2.12.2 Habitat Compensation Features ...............................................................................................28 2.12.3 Causeway..................................................................................................................................28 2.12.4 Railway .....................................................................................................................................28 2.13 ARCHAEOLOGICAL OVERVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS .........................................................................31 3 ARCHAEOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT.................................................... 32 3.1 SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................................................32 3.2 METHODOLOGY...................................................................................................................................33 3.3 RESULTS..............................................................................................................................................36 3.4 IMPACT ASSESSMENT ..........................................................................................................................43 3.5 MITIGATION MEASURES ......................................................................................................................44 3.6 RECOMMENDATIONS ...........................................................................................................................44 4 REFERENCES CITED............................................................................................... 45 APPENDIX I ................................................................................................................... 51 LIST OF PLATES Plate