20201575 Ver 1_Swain County - B133 - Archaeology_20210319

Project Tracking No.:
“No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED” form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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NO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY REQUIRED FORM
This form only pertains to ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES for this project. It is not
valid for Historic Architecture and Landscapes. You must consult separately with the
Historic Architecture and Landscapes Group.

PROJECT INFORMATION

Project No: NA County: Swain
WBS No: 17BP.14.R.164 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. 133 on SR 1132 (Hickory Cove Road) over Bush
Creek in Swain County. The archaeological Area of Potential Effects (APE) for the project is defined as
a 350-foot (106.68 m) long corridor running north along Hickory Cove Road starting at its intersection
with SR 1133 (Bush Creek Road). The APE also includes a 600-foot (182.88 m) long corridor along
Bush Creek Road running 300 feet (91.44 m) northwest and 300 feet southeast from the intersection.
Both corridors are approximately 150 feet (45.72 m) wide extending 75 feet (22.86 m) on either side of
the roads from their center line.

SUMMARY OF CULTURAL RESOURCES REVIEW

Brief description of review activities, results of review, and conclusions:
Bridge No. 133 is located south of Bryson City and east of the Little Tennessee River in Swain County,
North Carolina. The project area is plotted in the western half of the Alarka 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 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), and historic maps (North Carolina maps website) 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 No. 133 is situated at the intersection of Hickory Cove Road and Bush Creek Road. The bridge
and Hickory Cover Road cross Bush Creek roughly north to south, while Bush Creek Road located south
and west of the bridge runs between the creek and hillside slope. Bush Creek drains to the northwest into
the Little Tennessee River. The APE consists mostly of hillsides but a floodplain is present northwest of
the bridge (Figure 2). The bridge is located in an area where the broader floodplain is pinched-in by the
hillsides. The slopes are forested, while the floodplain is open with a grassy meadow. Overall, ground
disturbance is minimal except for the road cut along the slope.

The USDA soil survey for the county identifies only one soil types within the APE, but more than likely
three are present (see Figure 2). The Cullowhee-Ela complex (CwA) is shown as covering the entire APE.
This series is found in floodplains with a slope of 0 to 3 percent. It is somewhat poorly drained and
Project Tracking No.:
“No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED” form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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subject to occasional flooding. It is not going to be found on the adjacent hillsides within the APE.
These landforms are probably composed of the neighboring Brasstown-Junaluska complex (BsE) to the
north and the Soco-Stecoah complex (SpF) to the south. Although both are well drained, slope is in
excess of 30 percent. Neither the soils within the floodplain or on the slopes are likely to yield significant
resources. This is due to being either persistently wet or too steep. Slope of 15 percent or more is not
usually tested.

A review of the site files shows one investigations within the surrounding area. This was carried out for
Grady Estep Road to the southeast. Further work in the region would likely identify some sites; however,
the landforms and poor soils within the currently defined APE have a low potential will not yield positive
results.

Lastly, a historic map review was conducted. Very few early 20th century maps showing the project area
could be found. The 1907 USGS Cowee topographic map is one of the first in which an approximate
location could be determined (Figure 3). This map depicts a road similar to Bush Creek Road, but
Hickory Cove Road is not shown. However, structures are illustrated along a drainage that would be the
route of Hickory Cove Road suggesting that an unmarked road or trail is present. In addition, one
structure is plotted north of where the bridge should be located. Later highway maps such as the 1938
map of Swain County are missing these structures (Figure 4). Regardless of this, it seems unlikely for the
structural remains to be encounter or be significant towards the regions history.

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. 133 in Swain County is
unlikely to impact intact and significant archaeological deposits. This is due to steep hillsides and wet
soils within the floodplain. 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. 133. 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 Photos Correspondence
Photocopy of County Survey Notes Other: images of historic maps

FINDING BY NCDOT ARCHAEOLOGIST
NO ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED

3/4/16
C. Damon Jones Date
NCDOT ARCHAEOLOGIST
Project Tracking No.:
“No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED” form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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Figure 1. Topographic Setting of the Project Area, Alarka (1940), NC USGS 7.5′ Topographic
Quadrangle.

Project Tracking No.:
“No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED” form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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Figure 2. Aerial photograph of the APE showing development, contours, and soils within and near the
project area.

Project Tracking No.:
“No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED” form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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Figure 3. The 1907 Cowee USGS topographic map showing the location of the project area.

Figure 4. The 1938 North Carolina State Highway Map for Swain County showing the location of the
project area.