Archaeological Resources Assessment for the Golden Triangle Project, Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County, California JANUARY 2021 PREPARED FOR City of Santa Clarita Planning Division PREPARED BY SWCA Environmental Consultants ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT FOR THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE PROJECT, SANTA CLARITA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Prepared for City of Santa Clarita Planning Division 23920 Valencia Boulevard, Suite 302 Santa Clarita, California 91355 Attn: Erika Iverson Prepared by Chris Millington, M.A., RPA, and Trevor Gittelhough, M.A., RPA Principal Investigator Chris Millington, M.A., RPA SWCA Environmental Consultants 51 West Dayton Street Pasadena, California 91105 (626) 540-0587 www.swca.com SWCA Project No. 63682 SWCA Cultural Resources Report No. 20-763 January 2021 Keywords: California Environmental Quality Act; Santa Clarita Valley, Los Angeles County; Santa Clarita Planning Division; project area, 10.28 acres; pedestrian survey, 19.08 acres; reconnaissance survey, 1.30 acres; parcel area, 20.38 acres; negative survey; negative Sacred Lands File search; negative CHRIS records search; Township 4 North, Range 15 West, Section 19, San Bernardino Base Meridian; U.S. Geologic Survey, Mint Canyon, California 7.5-minute quadrangle Archaeological Resources Assessment for the Golden Triangle Project, Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County, California EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Purpose and Scope: The City of Santa Clarita (City) retained SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) to conduct an archaeological resources study in support of the proposed Golden Triangle Project (project) in Santa Clarita, California. Intertex Property Advisors, Inc. (project applicant), proposes to construct multifamily condominium buildings on a 20.38-acre parcel. The parcel comprises four lots, and the proposed construction includes ground-disturbing activities within two of the lots (project area) that collectively measure 10.28 acres. The following study was conducted to analyze the potential impacts this project may have on cultural resources located in the project area pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), including relevant portions of Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 5024.1, 14 California Code of Regulations 15064.5 of the CEQA Guidelines, and PRC Sections 21083.2 and 21084.1. The following report documents the methods and results of a confidential records search of the California Historical Resources Information System (CHRIS), a Sacred Lands Files (SLF) search, archival research, and pedestrian survey used to assess the potential for impacts to archaeological resources. Dates of Investigation: A CHRIS records search for the project area plus a 1.6-kilometer (1-mile) radius on December 9, 2020, by staff at the South Central Coastal Information System (SCCIC), located at California State University, Fullerton. SWCA received the results of a Sacred Lands File search from the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) on December 15, 2020. An archaeological survey was conducted by SWCA on December 15, 2020, and included a total of 20.38 acres, comprising the entire project parcel, including the 10.2-acre project area. Results: The CHRIS records search indicated that several cultural resources studies have been done near the project, one of which was conducted in 1981 within the project area. The CHRIS search identified seven cultural resources, three with archaeological components, none of which are located within the project area. The NAHC’s SLF search was negative. Archaeological survey included 19.08 acres of pedestrian survey and 1.30 acres of reconnaissance-level survey within the steep terrain. No archaeological resources were identified during the survey. Supplementary archival research indicates that the project area was subject to plow agriculture during the early to mid-twentieth century, which would have disturbed, displaced, or otherwise destroyed any archaeological components that may have once existed on the surface. The lack of historic-period archaeological resources identified during the pedestrian survey suggests that as-yet unidentified resources from this time period are unlikely to be buried and preserved within the project area. A review of ethnographic literature confirmed that the project area is within the ancestral territory of the Tataviam and that significant villages once existed in the region. Natural resources that were important to Native Americans, particularly the Santa Clara River, are within reasonable proximity to the project area. However, no evidence was identified to suggest that within the project area there is an increased likelihood of buried archaeological resources associated with Native Americans. Therefore, SWCA considers the likelihood of buried archaeological resources within the project area to be low. Conclusion: The project requires excavation and removal of the underlying alluvial sediments to depths ranging between 0.3 and 5 m (1 and 5 feet) below the current grade. While the likelihood of buried archaeological resources within the project area is considered low, if present, such resources have the potential to be significant under CEQA. The proposed project would adhere to applicable regulatory compliance measures intended to reduce and avoid creating significant impacts to archaeological resources in the event of a discovery during grading, excavation, or other ground-disturbing activities. With implementation of conditions to comply with regulatory compliance measures related to the inadvertent discovery of archaeological resources and human remains, SWCA finds that the proposed project will have less-than-significant impact to archaeological resources. Disposition of Data: This report will be on file with the project applicant, City of Santa Clarita Planning Division, SCCIC, and SWCA’s Pasadena Office. i Archaeological Resources Assessment for the Golden Triangle Project, Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County, California CONTENTS Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 1 Project Description ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Area of Potential Impact ......................................................................................................................... 5 Regulatory Setting ...................................................................................................................................... 5 State Regulations .................................................................................................................................... 5 California Environmental Quality Act ............................................................................................. 5 Treatment of Human Remains................................................................................................................ 8 Environmental Setting ................................................................................................................................ 8 Cultural Setting ........................................................................................................................................... 9 Prehistory................................................................................................................................................ 9 Ethnographic Overview ........................................................................................................................ 10 Tataviam ........................................................................................................................................ 10 Historical Overview ............................................................................................................................. 12 Spanish Period (1769–1822) .......................................................................................................... 12 Mexican Period (1822–1848) ........................................................................................................ 13 American Period (1848–present) ................................................................................................... 14 History of the Project Area ................................................................................................................... 15 Methods ...................................................................................................................................................... 17 CHRIS Records Search ........................................................................................................................ 17 Archival Research ................................................................................................................................ 17 Archaeological Survey ......................................................................................................................... 17 Results ........................................................................................................................................................ 18 CHRIS Records Search ........................................................................................................................ 18 Previously Conducted Cultural Resources Studies ........................................................................ 18 Previously Recorded Cultural Resources ......................................................................................