IDENTIFICATION AND EVALUATION OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES REPORT SAN JACINTO RIVER LEVEE PROJECT (STAGE 4) In and near the City of San Jacinto Riverside County, California For Submittal to: Community Development Department City of San Jacinto 595 S. San Jacinto Avenue, Building A San Jacinto, CA 92583 and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District 915 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90017 Prepared for: Sonya Hooker Albert A. Webb Associates 3788 McCray Street Riverside, CA 92506 Prepared by: CRM TECH 1016 East Cooley Drive, Suite A/B Colton, CA 92324 Michael Hogan, Principal Investigator Bai “Tom” Tang, Principal Investigator September 27, 2014 CRM TECH Contract No. 2845 Title: Identification and Evaluation of Historic Properties: San Jacinto River Levee Project (Stage 4), in and near the City of San Jacinto, Riverside County, California Author(s): Bai “Tom” Tang, Principal Investigator/Historian Daniel Ballester, Archaeologist/Field Director Nina Gallardo, Archaeologist/Native American Liaison Consulting Firm: CRM TECH 1016 East Cooley Drive, Suite A/B Colton, CA 92324 (909) 824-6400 Date: September 27, 2014 For Submittal to: Community Development Department City of San Jacinto 595 S. San Jacinto Avenue, Building A San Jacinto, CA 92583 (951) 487-7330 and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District 915 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90017 (213) 452-3840 Prepared for: Sonya Hooker Albert A. Webb Associates 3788 McCray Street Riverside, CA 92506 (951) 248-4263 USGS Quadrangles: Lakeview and San Jacinto, Calif., 7.5’ quadrangles; T4S R1W, San Bernardino Baseline and Meridian (within the San Jacinto Viejo and San Jacinto Nuevo y Potrero land grants) Project Size: Approximately 585.1 acres Keywords: San Jacinto Valley, Riverside County; Phase I historical/archaeological resources survey; Site 33-017364 (cottonwood grove of traditional cultural value), a potential “historic property” as defined by Section 106 of the NHPA and a potential “historical resource” as defined by CEQA; further study recommended for proper evaluation against criteria of the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historical Resources MANAGEMENT SUMMARY In August and September, 2014, CRM TECH performed a cultural resources study on the Area of Potential Effects (APE) for the proposed San Jacinto River Levee Project (Stage 4) in and near the City of San Jacinto, Riverside County, California. The undertaking entails primarily the partial removal the existing southern levee along the San Jacinto River, construction of a new southern levee and floodwall that will be approximately five miles in total length, and enhancements to the northern levee. The APE is delineated to encompass the maximum extent of ground disturbances required during the undertaking, including the sites of permanent structures, temporary construction easements, borrow sites, and staging areas, and consists of a total of approximately 585.1 acres located in T4S R1W, San Bernardino Baseline and Meridian, within the San Jacinto Viejo and San Jacinto Nuevo y Potrero land grants. The study is a part of the environmental review process for the proposed undertaking, as required by the project proponents and lead agencies, namely the City of San Jacinto and the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). As the undertaking will require federal review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), this study was performed in compliance with both CEQA and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The purpose of the study is to provide the lead agencies and other responsible agencies with the necessary information and analysis to determine whether the undertaking would have an effect on any “historic properties,” as defined by 36 CFR 800.16(l), or “historical resources,” as defined by Calif. PRC §21084.1, that may exist in or near the APE. In order to identify and evaluate such resources, CRM TECH conducted a historical/archaeological resources records search, pursued historical background research, contacted Native American representatives, and carried out a systematic field survey. Part of the archaeological fieldwork was completed between 2003 and 2008 during earlier studies for the same undertaking, then in different geographical configurations from the current APE, and the results of those survey efforts were updated during this study. As a result of these research procedures, CRM TECH recorded a grove of cottonwood trees that lies partially within the APE into the California Historical Resources Inventory as a property of apparent traditional cultural value to local Luiseño tribal members. The cottonwood grove, since designated Site 33-017364, represents a regionally distinct location for gathering highly prized tree mushrooms, as well as medicine and construction materials for traditional ceremonial items and social gatherings, that is of prime importance to the nearby Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians for the purpose of maintaining traditional tribal customs and the tribe’s historical identity. Site 33-017364 may potentially qualify as a “historic property” and/or a “historical resource,” but additional information, especially ethnographical accounts, will be necessary to substantiate the final determination. According to the current configuration of the undertaking, most of Site 33-017364 is located outside the APE. At the location of the site, the undertaking will be limited to the removal of the existing levee along the southwestern edge of the cottonwood grove and the construction of a new levee along the same alignment, intersecting only a small “dog-leg” portion of the site at the northwestern end. Given the organic nature of the site, and since the anticipated physical impact on the i cottonwood grove will be limited, the proposed undertaking is not expected to have a substantial adverse effect on the significance and integrity of Site 33-017364. In light of the lack of effect from the undertaking, Site 33-017364 is presumed to be historically significant for the purposes of this study. If project plans undergo further changes and more of the site will be impacted, additional studies will be necessary to determine the site’s qualifications as a “historic property” or “historical resource.” The scope of the studies should include, at a minimum, the following research procedures to determine the eligibility of the site for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or the California Register of Historical Resources: Further consultation with the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians and other Native American groups of Luiseño heritage, including oral historical interviews with tribal elders and traditional gatherers; Extensive ethno-historical and ethno-botanical research for a comparative analysis of the significance of similar features to the Native American cultural tradition; Preparation of a final report to document the methods and results of the research as well as the final conclusions of the study. Further recommendations regarding the final treatment of Site 33-017364, if necessary, will be formulated and presented on the basis of the results of the additional investigations. In the meantime, CRM TECH recommends that the proposed undertaking, as much as possible, avoid and/or minimize disturbances to this potentially significant Native American cultural landscape, including the removal of live, dead, or dying cottonwood trees within the site boundaries. No other potential “historic property”/“historical resource” were encountered within or adjacent to the APE throughout the course of the study, and the subsurface sediments in the APE appear to be relatively low in sensitivity for buried deposits of potentially significant archaeological remains of prehistoric origin. Therefore, CRM TECH further recommends that no other cultural resources investigation would be necessary in the APE. However, if any buried cultural materials are unearthed during earth-moving operations associated with the undertaking, all work in that area should be halted or diverted until a qualified archaeologist can evaluate the nature and significance of the finds. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS MANAGEMENT SUMMARY ............................................................................................................. i INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 1 SETTING .............................................................................................................................................. 3 Current Natural Setting ..................................................................................................................... 3 Cultural Setting ................................................................................................................................. 4 Prehistoric Context........................................................................................................................ 4 Ethnohistoric Context ................................................................................................................... 5 Historic Context ............................................................................................................................ 5 RESEARCH METHODS ..................................................................................................................... 6 Records Search.................................................................................................................................