The Upper Oconee Reservoir Project: An Archeological Reconnaissance Survey of Four Alternative Configurations

A reconnaissance level archeological survey of four proposed reservoir alternatives in Jackson County, Georgia, was conducted by Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc., during January and February, 1990. An assessment of the cultural resources in each alternative reservoir location was prepared for the five counties of the Upper Oconee River Basin Service Area as part of the site selection process. The survey was intended to be a cost-effective approach to provide general information about the cultural resources of each location as well as assessing impacts to potentially significant resources. The goal was not to locate and evaluate every archeological site in the reservoirs, but to sample the resources, and identify the most important sites. The survey data provided a means of ranking each of the four alternatives by estimated numbers of sites and estimated costs of conducting comprehensive site surveys and evaluations. The archeological survey targeted areas with a high potential for containing sites. Previous investigations along the Oconee River have shown that areas of highest probability lie on elevated, level landforms close to permanent water sources. The survey provided information for 42 archeological sites. Included were 37 prehistoric sites, three multicomponent sites containing both prehistoric and historic material, two standing historic structures and four mills. A historic cemetery was identified within the proposed boundaries of the Bear Creek alternative. The most significant sites were found on the North Oconee River and Bear Creek. The survey data indicated that the alternatives should be ranked according to potential costs of intensive survey in the order of North Oconee II, North Oconee I, Little Curry Creek and Bear Creek II.