Phase II Evaluation of a Portion of Archaeological Site CA-SDI-12093 Chollas Creek Bicycle Trail Project San Diego, California Prepared for Lara Gates City of San Diego 1222 First Avenue, 4th Floor San Diego, CA 92101 T: (619) 236-6006 [email protected] Prepared by David M. Smith Patrick O. Maxon, M.A., RPA BonTerra Psomas 3 Hutton Centre, Suite 200 Santa Ana, California 92707 T: (714) 751-7373 F: (714) 545-8883 August 2015 Chollas Creek Bicycle Trail Project TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page National Archaeological Database (NADB) Information Sheet .............................................. MS-1 Management Summary/Abstract ........................................................................................... MS-2 1.0 Natural and Cultural Resources Settings ..................................................................... 1 1.1 Natural Setting ....................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Cultural Setting ...................................................................................................... 1 1.2.1 Early Man Period (Before 8500 BC) .......................................................... 1 1.2.2 Paleo-Indian Period (8500-6000 BC) ......................................................... 1 1.2.3 Early Archaic Period (6000 BC-AD 0) ........................................................ 1 1.2.4 Late Prehistoric Period (AD 0-1769) .......................................................... 2 1.2.5 Ethnohistoric Period................................................................................... 2 1.2.6 Historic Periods.......................................................................................... 2 2.0 Background Research .................................................................................................... 4 3.0 Research Design ............................................................................................................. 5 4.0 Field Methods .................................................................................................................. 6 4.1 Personnel .............................................................................................................. 6 4.2 Shovel Test Pits .................................................................................................... 6 4.3 Previous Disturbances .......................................................................................... 7 5.0 Results ............................................................................................................................. 8 5.1 Shellfish ................................................................................................................. 9 5.2 Historic .................................................................................................................. 9 5.3 Constraints .......................................................................................................... 10 6.0 Management Considerations ....................................................................................... 12 7.0 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 13 8.0 Recommendations ........................................................................................................ 13 9.0 Bibliography .................................................................................................................. 15 TABLES Table Page 1 Results of Shovel Test Pit Excavations by Depth ............................................................. 8 2 STP Depths, Soils Types, Bottom Composition .............................................................. 11 R:\Projects\5SAN\0210\Phase II Report-080615.docx i Table of Contents Chollas Creek Bicycle Trail Project FIGURES Figure Page 1 STP 1 Located Near Station 119+50 ................................................................................ 7 2 Concrete Under the Iceplant Adjacent to STP 5 ............................................................. 10 3 First Appearance of the Retaining Wall. View to the Northeast From Approximately Station 116+00 ........................................................................................ 11 4 Southerly View of the Retaining Wall South of Station 116+00 ...................................... 12 EXHIBITS Exhibit Follows Page 1 Area of Potential Effects ............................................................................................. MS-2 2 Proposed Area of Potential Effects and Approximate Shovel Test Pit Locations ....... MS-2 R:\Projects\5SAN\0210\Phase II Report-080615.docx ii Table of Contents Chollas Creek Bicycle Trail Project NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL DATABASE (NADB) INFORMATION SHEET PHASE II EVALUATION OF A PORTION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE CA-SDI-12093 CHOLLAS CREEK BICYCLE TRAIL PROJECT SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA By David M. Smith Patrick O. Maxon, M.A., RPA August 2015 Submitted by: BonTerra Psomas 3 Hutton Centre Drive, Suite 200 Santa Ana, CA 92707-8794 (714) 751-7373 [email protected] [email protected] Submitted to: Lara Gates City of San Diego 1222 First Avenue, 4th Floor San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 236-6006 [email protected] BonTerra Psomas Project Number: 5SAN021000 Key Words: Chollas Creek, CA-SDI-12092, CA-SDI-12093, Shelltown R:\Projects\5SAN\0210\Phase II Report-080615.docx MS-1 Phase II Evaluation Report Chollas Creek Bicycle Trail Project MANAGEMENT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT PURPOSE AND SCOPE The City of San Diego is planning to construct a bicycle path south of Interstate (I) 5 and east of I-15 in San Diego. Previous research indicates that the project may impact two cultural resources: CA-SDI-12093 and P-37-025680. On November 5, 2014, Rebecca Malone from the City of San Diego completed an environmental review of the Chollas Creek Bicycle Trail and determined that additional information is required related to cultural resources. Specifically, the bike path alignment APE may lie within a portion of CA-SDI-12093 and requires further evaluation in accordance with the Historical Resource Regulations of the Land Development Code and the Historical Resources Guidelines. In addition, a portion of the AT&SF Railroad is within the project APE and will require further evaluation. To determine the presence or absence of an archaeological deposit and to determine the significance of any portion of CA-SDI-12093 that may remain within the APE, BonTerra Psomas archaeologists drafted an Archaeological Testing Plan, approved by the City of San Diego, which describes the methods and protocols of archaeological testing and evaluations that will be completed for CA-SDI-12093. The site has been determined ineligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on at least two occasions but, because of its size, significant pockets of cultural resources could remain buried in areas not previously tested. Initial research suggests that the site will only be impacted by the project where the trail will be placed between I-15 and Chollas Creek (south of Main Street). This is a 1,000-foot-long stretch of sloped embankment above the creek. It is in this area that the archaeological testing occurred. The historic evaluation of the railroad (P-37-025680) is being undertaken independently and will be documented in a separate, stand-alone historic resources evaluation report. AREA OF POTENTIAL EFFECTS For the purposes of this testing plan, the Area of Potential Effects (APE) (i.e., the geographic areas within which a project may impact historic properties) is defined as the approximate 1,000- foot-long stretch of sloped embankment between I-15 and Chollas Creek, south of Main Street and north of South 32nd Street. The width of the APE is defined as the area between the curb along the street and the high water line of Chollas Creek. Exhibit 1 depicts the proposed project alignment; Exhibit 2 depicts the APE within the larger project site and shows the proposed Shovel Test Pit (STP) locations. PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS A portion of one prehistoric resource is believed to lie within the APE. The site—CA-SDI-12093— was initially recorded as a temporary camp by Malcolm Rogers, who noted a relatively shallow midden, assigned the site to the Late Prehistoric Period, and noted that the site had been recently impacted by development. The first testing of the site recovered faunal materials and shell from near the 32nd Street Bridge over Chollas Creek in 1982. In 1991, a second portion of the site was tested near 32nd Street and Harbor Drive. An intact, 40-centimeter-thick midden containing debitage, fire-affected-rock, millingstones, and lithic tools as well as faunal remains was recovered. Despite this, that portion of the site was deemed ineligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Testing conducted in the eastern corner of the site in 1993 identified shellfish scatter and scant traces of lithics intermixed with historic debris. The site was recommended ineligible for listing on the NRHP. The State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) concurred with that recommendation. In 2000, the area near 32nd Street and Harbor Drive tested in 1991 was re-tested with negative results. In 2008, monitoring conducted during trenching R:\Projects\5SAN\0210\Phase II Report-080615.docx MS-2 Phase II Evaluation Report Source: USGS 7.5 Minute Quadrangle Area of Potential Effects National City, CA Point Loma, CA Proposed Path Alignment Township: