HomeMy WebLinkAbout20211241 Ver 1_AR17-06-0001 Revisednosurvey_20210919Project Tracking No.
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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 Team.
PROJECT INFORMATION
Project No: B-5898 County: Haywood
WBS No: 48030.1.FS1 Document: Federal CE
Federal Aid No: BRSTP-0019(49) Funding: State Federal
Federal Permit Required? Yes No Permit Type: USACE & FHWA
Project Description:
The project (B-5898) calls for the proposed replacement of Bridge Nos. 155 and 158 on US 23/74 (Great
Smoky Mountain Expressway) over Richland Creek and Bridge No. 168 on US 23/74 over the eastbound
lane of US 19/23 in Haywood County. The archaeological Area of Potential Effects (APE) for the project
is defined as approximate 1.7-mile (2.74 km) long corridor along US 23/74 and an approximate 0.5-mile
(0.8 km) long extension along US 19/23 from its split. The APE extends along US 23/74 approximately
4,170 feet (1,271.02 m) from the center of the Bridge No. 168 to the northeast and 4,850 feet (1,478.28 m)
to the southwest, while along US 19/23 it extends approximately 2,280 feet (694.95 m) to the west. The
APE corridor is generally 400 feet (121.92 m) wide extending 200 feet (60.96 m) from either the center of
the road or the median. The APE also widens to encompass existing ramps onto NC 209 and US 23
Business at the northeastern end. In all, the APE comprised 116 acres.
The current revised project includes three previously reviewed bridge replacements. A “No Archaeological
Survey Required” PA form was submitted for Bridge No. 168 (B-5898) on June 21, 2017 as PA 17-06-
0001, while “No Archaeological Survey Required” PA forms were submitted for Bridge Nos. 155 ad 158
(B-3186) on March 24, 2015 as PA 15-03-0003 and PA 15-03-0004. These previous forms are no longer
valid.
This project is federally funded. As a result, this archaeological review was conducted in accordance with
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s
Regulations for Compliance (36 CFR Part 800).
SUMMARY OF CULTURAL RESOURCES REVIEW
Brief description of review activities, results of review, and conclusions:
The proposed Bridge Nos. 155, 158, and 168 replacement project (TIP B-5898) is located on the north side
of Waynesville and just south of Lake Junaluska in central Haywood County, North Carolina. The project
area is plotted in the southwest corner of the Clyde USGS 7.5' topographic quadrangle (Figure 1).
A site file search was conducted with data from the Office of State Archaeology (OSA) on February 12,
2021. No previously recorded archaeological sites have been identified within the APE, but four sites
(31HW19, 31HW171, 31HW174 and 31HW423) are reported within a mile of the project. According to the
North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office online data base (HPOWEB 2021), a portion of the APE
falls within the Lake Junaluska Assembly Historic District (HW 540) and alongside the Liner-Leatherwood
House property (HW 162). These are determined eligible resources, but no contributing archaeological
resources to the district or property will be affected by the proposed project. Topographic maps, USDA soil
survey maps, aerial photographs (NC One Map), historic maps (North Carolina maps website), and Google
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Street View application were also 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.
The APE is situated along cut hillsides and modified floodplains and stream terraces (Figure 2). Richland
Creek is crossed by both bridges on US 23/75 and on US 19/23. This creek is part of the French Broad
drainage basin. Properties are a mix of commercial, residential, and forested lots. Forested areas appear to
be mostly situated on steep hillsides. A golf course is also present between US 23/75 and US 19/23 on the
westside of Richland Creek. Overall, ground disturbance is severe and includes large areas of cut and fill
associated with past road construction and development activities.
According to the USDA soil survey for Haywood County, half of the project area consists of Udorthents
loam (Ud) (see Figure 2). This series is where the natural soils have been altered by earth moving activities
or covered by fill. It is highly disturbed and unlikely to yield significant and intact archaeological resources
within the construction limits. The remainder of the APE is composed of the Cullowhee-Nikwasi complex
(CxA), Dillsboro loam (DsC), Dillsboro-Urban land complex (DuC), Edneyville-Chestnut complex (EdE),
Evard-Cowee complex (EvD; EvE), Evard-Cowee-Urban land complex (ExD), Hayesville clay loam (HaC2;
HaD2), and Saunook loam (ScB; SdC). Most of these soils are steeply sloped at 15 percent or more (EdE,
EvD, EvE, ExD, and HaD2) or poorly drained (CxA), which are not suitable for early occupations. The
other soils (DsC, DuC, HaC2, ScB, and SdC) show development activities from the golf course or
commercial establishments on the arial image or cover only a minimal area within the APE. As a result,
significant resources are not expected.
The records at OSA show that several reviews and surveys have been carried out in the general vicinity of
the current project. This has resulted in the identification of four nearby sites (31HW19, 31HW171,
31HW174, and 31HW423). Sites 31HW19, 31HW171, and 31HW174 were recorded by the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1960s and 70s during their Cherokee Archaeological Project. Little
information is known of the sites, and their eligibility for the National Register has not been assessed. Since
their identification, site 31HW171 has been destroyed by the construction of the Champion Paper Plant, and
31HW174 has been impacted by work associated with SR 1184 (Howell Mill Road). The final site is the
Maple Grove Cemetery recorded by the Chicora Foundation in 1997. It is a 19th century cemetery, whose
eligibility has yet to the assessed. Available data suggest that the current project will not impact significant
archaeological resources due to past development alongside the expressway.
The earliest map in which an approximate location for the project area can be found is on the 1901 USGS
Asheville topographic map (Figure 3). The map shows no former structures or roads with similar alignments
within the project area. The subsequent 1925 Soil Map for Haywood County depicts same picture (Journey
et al. 1925) (Figure 4). It is not until the publication of highway maps from the 1950s that US 19 is illustrated.
Due to a lack of historic features on these maps, it seems very unlikely that any significant deposits associated
with former structure will be encountered.
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 Nos. 155, 158, and 168 on US
23/74 (TIP B-5898) in Haywood County are unlikely to impact intact and significant archaeological
deposits. This is due to previous ground disturbance from road construction, steep hillside slopes, wet soils,
and urban development. In addition, the map review identified no historic structures within the APE. As
long as impacts to the subsurface occur within the defined APE, no further archaeological work is
recommended for the proposed bridge replacement project. If design plans change and work should affect
subsurface areas beyond the defined APE, further archaeological consultation might be necessary.
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This project falls within a North Carolina County in which the Catawba Nation, the Eastern Band of
Cherokee Indians, the Cherokee Nation, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, and Muscogee
(Creek) Nation have expressed an interest. We recommend that you ensure that this documentation is
forwarded to these tribes using the process described in the current NCDOT Tribal Protocol and PA
Procedures Manual.
SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION
See attached: Map(s) Previous Survey Info Photos Correspondence
Other:
FINDING BY NCDOT ARCHAEOLOGIST: NO ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED
February 18, 2021
C. Damon Jones Date
NCDOT ARCHAEOLOGIST II
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REFERENCES CITED
HPOWEB
2021 North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office GIS Web Service.
http://gisNCDCR.gov/hpoweb/. Accessed February 17, 2021.
Jurney, Robert C., William Lee, Samuel Davidson, and William Davis
1925 Soil Map for Haywood County, North Carolina. U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. On file at North Carolina Collections, University
of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Services (USDA NRCS)
2021 Haywood County Soil Survey. Available online at
http://webosilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/. Accessed February 17, 2021.
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
1901 Asheville, North Carolina-Tennessee 30 minute quadrangle map. Reprinted in 1907.
2013 Clyde, North Carolina 7.5 minute quadrangle map.
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Figure 1. Topographic Setting of the Project Area, Clyde (2013), NC USGS 7′5 Topographic Quadrangle.
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Figure 2. Aerial photograph of the APE showing development and soils.
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Figure 3. The 1901 USGS Asheville topographic map showing the approximate location of the project area.
Figure 4. The 1925 Soil Survey Map for Haywood County showing the project area.