20191744 Ver 1_17BP.7.R.110__16-12-0010 No Archaeological Survey Required Form Br No 0019 on SR 1771 Dave Smith Road Caswell_20191220

Project Tracking No.:
16-12-0010
oaflr.. NO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY REQUIRED FORM
a. This form only pertains to ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES for this project. It is not.
v valid for Historic Architecture and Landscapes. You must consult separately with the ;
�.. Historic Architecture and Landscapes Group. d
PROJECT INFORMATION
Project No: Br. No. 0019 County: Caswell
WBS No: 17BP.7.R.110 Document: M C C
F.A. No: N/A Funding: ® State ❑ Federal
Federal Permit Required? ® Yes ❑ No Permit Type: nw3 or nw14
Project Description: NCDOT proposes to replace Bridge No. 0019 over SR 1771 (Dave Smith Road) over
Lynch Creek in southeast Caswell County. While this is a state funded project, it will require a USACE
permit. Therefore, this is a federal undertaking and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act
applies for archaeological review.
NCDOT Division staff provided useful information regarding the project, including the general nature and
scale of the undertaking, and made historic maps, deeds and plats available. We are appreciative of their
assistance. While preliminary design was not available for this review, enough information was provided
to establish an archaeological Area of Potential Effects (APE). The length is about 700 feet long and up to
150 feet wide, centered on the bridge. This allows for multiple designs, though a replace -in -place design
on the same alignment is expected. An offsite detour is available, therefore no on -site, temporary bridge
impacts are expected.
Much of the APE has already been modified by the construction of the existing SR 1771 and bridge. The
project area has been recently completely clear-cut to the north, and is otherwise surrounded by wooded
vegetation.
SUMMARY OF CULTURAL RESOURCES REVIEW
Brief description of review activities, results of review, and conclusions:
USGS mapping (Ridgeville) and aerial photography was studied (see Figures 1 and 2). The surrounding
topography is hilly with a meandering Lynch Creek.
The soils type present includes mainly Louisburg coarse sandy loam (LoE, 15-45 percent slopes) and to a
lesser degree, Riverview loam (RvA, 0-2 percent slopes, occasionally flooded) along the stream channel.
Sloped topography is generally much less desirable for human activity than more level soils. Contour
mapping (2-ft intervals, see Figure 2) show the nature of the terrain at the project APE and suggest some
fill was used during the last bridge construction (c. 1965) to build up the bridge launch over Lynch Creek.
Virtual drive -by was available using Google maps, though not Bing. A cleared utility easement is present
north of the bridge which contains aerial lines, though it is uncertain if other, buried utilities exist within
the APE.
The USGS mapping shows no cemeteries in the nearby vicinity of the APE, nor does GIS-based cemetery
data maintained by NCDOT archaeologist, Paul J. Mohler.
The Office of State Archaeology was visited in January, 2017 to review archaeological mapping and to
reference any known archaeological surveys and sites. This helps establish an archaeological context for
comparison. Very few archaeological environmental reviews are present in the general area. The only
"No ARCHAEOLOGY SUR VEY REQUIRED "form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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Project Tracking No.:
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recorded archaeological site nearby is a cemetery (31Cs78) to the northwest along Sr 1004, John Oakley
Road, though it is some 4000 feet away and will not be affected. This cemetery is mapped on USGS
mapping, though there are no others in the immediate vicinity. Likewise, GIS-based cemetery data
maintained by NCDOT archaeologist, Paul J. Mohler, show no other nearby cemeteries.
Historic maps were examined. No structures were mapped nearby the bridge to be replaced in these earlier
maps. The detailed, accurate 1908 Caswell County Soils Survey (MC.020.1908h c.2) shows a crossing at
about the same location, though the road followed a somewhat different alignment further east and west
from Lynch Creek. Several midcentury county road maps show a similar road alignment and crossing,
though after the middle 1960s, maps (USGS Ridgeville 1968, Caswell County Highway Maintenance -
MC.020.1972n) shift to show the existing bridge was constructed and SR 1771 was straightened. The
current Bridge No. 0019 is documented as being constructed in 1965, likely replacing an older structure at
the same or closeby location. The old road alignment is apparent in modern maps and aerial photography.
Plat maps reference the earlier road, an old bridge and ford, drawn as coinciding or adjacent to the modern
roadway (Book 14 - Page 163, Book 6 - Page 161, Book 16 - Page 21). This suggests that the current road
and bridge are preceeded by at least two earlier crossing at approximately the same location. Often, this
type of roadway and water crossings modify the landscape in a way that would be damaging to any
archaeological sites that might otherwise be present.
For this undertaking, the proposed bridge replacement of the existing transportation facility, Bridge No.
0019, the project footprint is limited. The majority of the existing APE has been modified for the current
roadway and bridge, and likely previous crossings, too. The surrounding terrain is relatively hilly, a
topographic setting that generally would be passed over for sustained human activity. The expected small
size of new impacts, previous disturbances and soil types present within the APE suggest low expectations
for encountering newly discovered archaeological sites, especially any that may be intact and significant.
The project should be considered compliant with Section 106. No archaeological survey is recommended
for this undertaking as currently proposed.
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 scale and nature of the project is limited to replacement of an existing bridge with a new structure at
approximately the same location. While the archaeological APE is sized to accommodate different
alternatives, construction is expected to be constrained and an offsite detour is available. The APE appears
to have had three previous crossings, utility easement, clear cutting, and also a meandering creek, that likely
affected natural soil stratigraphy which would affect the integrity of an archaeological sites that might
otherwise be present. The hilly topographic setting, with sloped approaches towards the creek, is often
passed over for more attractive terrain for human activity. There are no known, documented archaeological
sites in the nearby vicinity. It is unlikely that intact, significant archaeological sites would be affected by
this proposed project. This federally permitted undertaking should be considered compliant with Section
106.
SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION
See attached: ® Map(s) ❑ Previous Survey Info ❑ Photos ❑Correspondence
❑ Photocopy of County Survey Notes Other:
FINDING BY NCDOT ARCHAEOLOGIST
"No ARCHAEOLOGY SUR VEY REQUIRED "form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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Project Tracking No.:
16-12-0010
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Figure 1. Vicinity of PA 16-12-0010, the proposed Bridge No. 0019 replacement along SR 1771 (Dave Smith Road) over Lynch
Creek in Caswell County shown on an excerpt of USGS mapping (Ridgeville). The APE is circled and shown in yellow.
"No ARCHAEOLOGYSURVFYREQUIRED "form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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