20210303 Ver 2_Macon County - B204 - Historic Archaeological_20231025

Project Tracking No.:
16-02-0114
o NO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY REQUIRED FORM
This form only pertains to ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES for this project. It is not
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0 ,1 valid for Historic Architecture and Landscapes. You must consult separately with the
Historic Architecture and Landscapes Group.
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PROJECT INFORMATION
Project No: NA County: Macon
WBSNo: 17BP.14.R.159 Document: Minimum Criteria
F.A. No: na Funding: ® State ❑ Federal
Federal Permit Required? ® Yes ❑ No Permit Type: NWP 3 or 14 and TVA
Project Description:
The project calls for the replacement of Bridge No. 204 on SR 1533 (Walnut Creek Road) over Walnut
Creek in Macon County. The archaeological Area of Potential Effects (APE) for the project is defined as
a 600 foot (182.88 m) long corridor running 300 feet (91.44 m) north and 300 feet south along Walnut
Creek Road from the center of the bridge. The corridor is approximately 150 feet (45.72 m) wide
extending 75 feet (22.86 m) on either side of the road from its present center.
SUMMARY OF CULTURAL RESOURCES REVIEW
Brief description of review activities, results of review, and conclusions:
Bridge No. 204 is located east of Franklin and west of Thorpe Lake in Macon County, North Carolina.
The project area is plotted in the southeast corner of the Corbin Knob USGS 7.5' topographic quadrangle
(Figure 1).
A map review and site file search was conducted at the Office of State Archaeology (OSA) on February
22, 2016. No previously recorded archaeological sites have been identified within the APE or within a
mile of the bridge. According to the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office online data base
(HPOWEB 2016), there are no known historic architectural resources within the APE that may yield
intact archaeological deposits. Topographic maps, USDA soil survey maps, aerial photographs (NC One
Map), historic maps (North Carolina maps website), and Google Street View application were examined
for information on environmental and cultural variables that may have contributed to prehistoric or
historic settlement within the project limits and to assess the level of ground disturbance.
Bridge 204 and Walnut Creek Road cross Walnut Creek north to south. The creek drains to the south and
it a tributary to the Cullasaja River. A stream confluence with Ledford Branch is immediately southwest
of the bridge. These waterways are part of the Little Tennessee drainage basin. The project area consists
mostly of steep side slopes with narrow benches west of the road and adjacent to the creek (Figure 2).
Houses and concrete/gravel parking lots occupy the benches or have been cut into the hillside. Ground
disturbance is heavy in this area. Property to the east belongs to the US Forest Service. Disturbance on
this property is minimal, but the road has been cut into the hillside.
According to the USDA soil survey, the Cullasaja-Tuckasegee complex (CuD) covers most of the APE
(see Figure 2). This series is well drained, but has a slope of 15 to 30 percent. The Edneyville-Chuestnut
complex (EdE) also falls within the APE primarily to the east on US Forest Service property. It too is
considered well drained but with a much steeper slope of 30 to 50 percent. Hillsides with slopes of 15
percent or more are not typically tested, since they are unlikely to yield significant archaeological sites.
"No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEYREQUIRED "form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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Project Tracking No.:
16-02-0114
A review of the site files shows no previous investigations or known sites within a mile of the bridge.
Although more research is needed in the area, this project will not provide the necessary data as slope is
steep and has a low potential for contain significant resources.
Lastly, a historic map review was conducted. The 1907 USGS Cowee topographic map is one of the first
in which an approximate location for the project area can be determined (Figure 3). This map shows a
road with a similar alignment as Walnut Creek Road and a crossing at or near the current bridge location.
All structures are depicted outside of the project limits. The circa 1910s US Post Office map illustrates a
similar road layout with a new structure southwest of the stream confluence (Figure 4). While, the 1933
Soil Map for Macon County is missing this structure (Figure 5). As a result of this map review, it appears
unlikely that any remains of significant historic structures will be encountered within the APE.
Brief Explanation of why the available information provides a reliable basis for reasonably predicting
that there are no unidentified historic properties in the APE:
The defined archaeological APE for the proposed replacement of Bridge No. 204 in Macon County is
unlikely to impact intact and significant archaeological deposits. This is due to steep hillside slopes and
previously ground disturbance from development along the benches. As long as impacts to the subsurface
occur within the defined APE, no further archaeological work is recommended for the proposed
replacement of Bridge No. 204. If work should affect subsurface areas beyond the defined APE, further
archaeological consultation might be necessary.
Also, this state funded project requires a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) 26(a) permit. A copy of this
form is being provided to TVA for their use in their Section 106 compliance including Tribal
consultations as appropriate. Copies of this form are also being provided to The Eastern Band of
Cherokee Indians, The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, and The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee
Indians.
SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION
See attached: ® Map(s) ❑ Previous Survey Info
❑ Photocopy of County Survey Notes
FINDING BY NCDOT ARCHAEOLOGIST
NO ARCHAEOLOGYSURVEYREQUIRED
C. Damon Jones
NCDOT ARCHAEOLOGIST
❑ Photos El Correspondence
Other: images of historic maps
3/1/16
Date
"No ARCHAEOLOGYSURVEYREQUIRED "form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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Project Tracking No.:
16-02-0114
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Figure 1. Topographic Setting of the Project Area, Corbin Knob (1946; photorevised 1978), NC USGS
7.5' Topographic Quadrangle.
"No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED "form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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Project Tracking No.:
16-02-0114
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Figure 3. The 1907 Cowee USGS topographic map showing the location of the project area.
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Figure 4. The circa 1910s Rural Delivery Routes for Macon County showing the location of the project
area.
"No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEYREQUIRED "form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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Project Tracking No.:
16-02-0114
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Figure 5. The 1933 Soil Map for Macon County showing the location of the project area.
"No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEYREQUIRED "form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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