Addendum to Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Bridge Replacement: SR 31 over the Withlacoochee River, Lowndes County, Georgia

In January 2006, Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. (EPEI) conducted additional survey at the site of the proposed bridge replacement at SR 31 over the Withlacoochee River, Lowndes County, Georgia. The total length of the redesigned project is 0.55 miles, and all of the changes occurred on the Georgia side of the river. The goal of the survey was to locate and evaluate archaeological sites within the Area of Potential Effects (APE) of the proposed undertaking, so that potential effects to any resources identified could,be evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The current project was conducted under a contract with HNTB, and is an addendum to the original project undertaken by Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc. in 2001. Prior to the start of the original fieldwork, a check of the state site files at the University of Georgia in Athens and of the Florida Master Site File, maintained by the Division of Historical Resources in Tallahassee, showed that there were no previously identified sites within a two km radius of the project area. During the initial survey, three archaeological sites were discovered. Site 9BO12, a small lithic scatter on the south bank of the Withlacoochee, was recommended ineligible for the NRHP. Sites 9LW78 and 8MD198 were recommended potentially eligible for the NRHP because they extend for some distance along the river, but due to the low artifact density and lack of diagnostics recovered from the portion of these sites in the APE, disturbances to these sites from the proposed construction project were deemed to not have an adverse effect on the resources. Clearance for construction was recommended. Due to design changes to the proposed project, and the fact that 9LW78 was located in the vicinity of these changes, EPEI staff conducted additional archaeological work in the project area during January of 2006. Additional artifacts from the site were collected from shovel tests, but based on the results of the survey, the deposits in the redesigned project area do not contribute to the eligibility of the site, due to low artifact density and construction disturbances. Based on these results, clearance for construction is recommended.