Placer County Water Agency Middle Fork American River Project FERC Project No. 2079 February 26, 2008

Evaluation of Cultural Resources in the Middle Fork American River Study Area Image from http://thefirstamericans.homestead.com/Maidu.html Image from http://www.legendsofamerica.com/CA-Goldrush.html

Introduction The relicensing of the Middle Fork American River Project is under the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) The FERC must comply with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Under the NHPA, a federal agency must identify cultural resources eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) that may be affected by the Project Significant historical characteristics of resources on, or eligible for listing on, the NRHP are to be preserved

Introduction Identification of cultural resources in the Middle Fork Project Study Area began in 2005 with records searches Field work to locate archaeological sites and other resources began in 2006 and is on-going Once it is determined that a resource may be affected by the Project, it must be evaluated for NRHP eligibility

Introduction The potential for Project affects on cultural resources depends on the nature and location of Project operations and maintenance (O&M) activities Based on this, a preliminary assessment of effects to cultural resources can be made

Introduction This presentation will briefly describe: Resources that may be affected by Project O&M activities and therefore need to be evaluated The evaluation strategies to be used

Resource Summary A total of 29 resources are known to exist within the study area. Of these, 28 have been recorded or re-located during surveys. These include: 10 Native American archaeological sites 10 Historic structures/buildings/objects (including mine ditches and stream diversions) 4 Historic archaeological sites (i.e., include both Native American and EuroAmerican remains) 2 Mixed-component archaeological sites 3 Isolated finds

Evaluation Categories Category 1 – Resources that will not be evaluated because they are not affected by Project O&M activities Category 2 – Resources that will be evaluated because they could potentially be affected by Project O&M activities Category 3 – Evaluation strategy will be determined pending further information Category 4 – Resources that have previously been evaluated for the NRHP

Category 1 These are resources that will not be evaluated because they are not affected by Project O&M activities. These resources are located near Project facilities (i.e. within 200 feet), but ongoing operation and maintenance activities will not affect these resources because they fall outside of the area of potential affect. Should the Project description change, these resources may be affected, and some may need to be evaluated.

Category 1 Resources in this category include: Prehistoric archaeological sites

Category 1 Historic mining sites

Category 1 Historic roads, ditches, and the remains of structures

Category 2 These are resources that will be evaluated because they could potentially by affected by Project operation and maintenance activities Evaluation will determine if each resource retains integrity and meets one of the following criteria for inclusion on the NRHP

Category 2 NRHP Criteria The resource is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of history …is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past …embodies distinctive characteristics of type, period, method of construction, represents the work of a master, possesses high artistic value, or is a contributing element to a significant cultural resource …has yielded or may yield information important to history or prehistory

Category 2 The evaluation approach can be divided into two parts: Resources to be evaluated by historical research Resources to be evaluated by archeological field work

Category 2 Resources to be evaluated by historical research will be completed using: Histories of the region and of gold mining Historic maps, photographs, and documents written during the 19th and 20th centuries Resources available through local museums, libraries, and historical societies

Category 2 Resources to be evaluated by archeological field work will be completed using the following methods: Excavation using Shovel Probes (50 cm X 50 cm units) to define site boundaries, assess depositional integrity, and determine age and contents of the sites. If necessary, test excavation units (1m X 1m or 1m X 2m units) will be used to better assess sub-surface contents of the sites. All soil will be screened using 1/8” mesh screens. Obsidian samples for hydration dating and source determination, and basalt and welded tuff samples for source determination will be collected. Only the most important artifacts will be retained and other materials will be left at the sites tested. Collected items will be curated by the ENF or TNF.

Category 3 The evaluation strategy for these sites will be determined pending further information. Information required to assess potential impacts includes the precise location of: Project facilities or features Resource boundaries and features These resources will be assigned to Category 1 or Category 2 after the potential Project effects to these sites are better understood.

Category 3 Resources in this category include: Prehistoric archeological sites

Category 3 Historic archeological sites

Category 3 Mixed-component (prehistoric and historic) archeological sites

Category 4 These resources have already been evaluated for NRHP eligibility

Category 4 There are four prehistoric archaeological sites already evaluated by the Forest Service One is determined not eligible One was determined eligible Two are recommended eligible with concurrence from the SHPO pending All are prehistoric archaeological sites

Next Steps Additional surveys will conducted in 2008 at newly identified Project features Additional data will be gathered to allow all Category 3 resources to be placed in Category 1 or Category 2 ARPA permits will be obtained from the ENF and TNF to allow archaeological resources to be evaluated A Historic Properties Management Plan (HPMP) will be produced and filed with the License Application, detailing how NRHP-eligible resources will be managed over the term of the new FERC license