The Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water & Sewerage Authority wishes to expand its sanitary sewer system to serve the Gilmer County jail that is located on SR 52 south of Ellijay. The majority of the project consists of installing pipeline along existing, disturbed road shoulders where no archeological survey was required, but six segments of the pipeline lie outside of road rights-of-way, and these areas were the subject of the archeological survey reported herein. The six areas of potential effect, totaling about 2,110 linear ft (643 m), were archeologically surveyed using visual inspection and shovel testing. Much of the project area traversed steep ridge slopes, but since the pipeline crosses the Cartecay River and its floodplain there were some small areas of near level ground. Archival research indicated that no known archeological sites or former house sites were within or close to the project area. The field survey encountered no artifacts or other indicators of archeological sites in any of the six survey areas. We conclude that no archeological resources occur in the project area and that in regard to archeological resources the project should be granted clearance to proceed.
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