Phase I Cultural Resources Survey of the Bartletts Ferry Substation Relocation Project

Between July 5-8, 2022, Brockington and Associates, Inc. (Brockington) completed a due diligence Phase I cultural resources survey for the proposed Bartletts Ferry Substation Relocation Project located in Harris County, Georgia and Lee County, Alabama (Figures 1 and 2). The 61.36-acre project tract is located in a highly disturbed area on either side of the Chattahoochee River south of Lake Harding at Bartletts Ferry Dam. Surrounding land use consists of a hydroelectric power facility and a wooded area, along with lakeshore residential development.

Brockington’s investigation was carried out for Georgia Power Company (GPC) ahead of proposed work to retire the existing Bartletts Ferry Substation (located in Alabama at the western side of the Bartletts Ferry Hydro Dam) and relocate it to a new site nearby on the tract. The proposed new substation location is approximately 250 meters (m) southwest of the existing substation (Appendix A).

Brockington’s investigation included a literature review to document all known resources as well as archaeological and architectural field investigations to identify any new cultural resources that might be affected by the project. The archaeological survey area is defined as the 61.36-acre project tract. The architectural survey area includes the project tract as well as an additional radius of 0.25 mile (0.4 kilometer [km]) to account for possible visual effects. The primary survey goal was to determine if the proposed project will impact cultural resources that are listed or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). This report includes a description of survey methods, the results of background research and field investigations, and Brockington’s recommendations for the proposed project. Brockington’s Phase I cultural resources survey included both archaeological and architectural field investigations.

Though this is a due diligence project, all activities described herein have been carried out in accordance with the stipulations of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (per 36 CFR Part 800, as amended through 2016) and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) revised 36 CFR Part 800 Regulations. Brockington also followed current guidelines established by the Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) (AHC 2006), Georgia Council of Professional Archaeologists (GCPA 2019), and Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR) Historic Preservation Division (HPD) (2017) as well as other pertinent state and federal guidelines. All cultural resources identified during this investigation were evaluated for eligibility for inclusion in the NRHP based on criteria set forth by 36 CFR Part 60.4. Supervising personnel for this survey meet or exceed the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards in accordance with 36 CFR Part 61.