Historic Properties Management Plan: Middle Chattahoochee Hydroelectric Project (FERC #2177), Muscogee and Harris Counties, Georgia, Lee and Russell Counties, Alabama

In April 1998, Georgia Power Company began first stage consultation for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) relicensing of the Middle Chattahoochee Hydroelectric Project (FERC #2177). This action occurred as a direct result of the company's compliance with 18 CFR Part 4, Subpart F et seq. (Application for License for Major Project - Existing Dam) and Article stipulations of the current license (issued January 1, 1955). Federal hydroelectric project relicensing regulations stipulate that an applicant (Georgia Power) will carry out a program to identify all archaeological and historical resources (referred to here collectively as cultural resources) that are either listed on or are determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (18 CFR Part 4, Subpart F, 4.51 [f] [4] [i, ii, and iii]; revised 1 April 2001). Archaeological and historical resources (i.e., sites, structures, buildings, or objects) included in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) are defined as "Historic Properties". The regulatory mandate pertains to all Historic Properties that are located within the project boundary, or that would be affected by the operation of the project or by new development of project facilities. This area is defined as the Project Area of Potential Effect (APE). The APE at the Middle Chattahoochee Hydroelectric Project includes flood rights and land held in fee simple by Georgia Power; along the lake shorelines, the APE is defined by the project boundary. The FERC regulations also specify that these efforts must be coordinated with the appropriate State Historic Preservation Officer (Alabama or Georgia) and the National Park Service. The goals specified in this Historic Properties Management Plan (HPMP) for the Middle Chattahoochee Hydroelectric Project are consistent with the goals of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (as amended through 1992). The first goal is to identify all archaeological and historical resources (cultural resources) located in the APE. The second goal is to evaluate these resources for eligibility to the NRHP. The third goal is to ensure that planning for all proposed development within the project considers the effects of development on Historic Properties (cultural resources included in or eligible for the NRHP) from the earliest stage of the planning process. The fourth goal is to preserve, protect, and interpret Historic Properties. The fifth and final goal of the Middle Chattahoochee Hydroelectric Project's HPMP is to ensure that conflicts among development, land management needs, and Historic Properties are resolved within the context of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations (36 CFR Part 800: Protection of Historic Properties; as revised January 11, 2001). Table 1 lists one eligible archaeological site (1 LE I) and 29 archaeological sites determined to be potentially eligible for the NRHP that are located within the APE (in and adjacent to Lake Oliver) for the Middle Chattahoochee Hydroelectric Project. All of these sites are located on Lake Oliver, where normal operating pool elevation is defined at the 337-foot contour. The project boundary at Lake Oliver is defined at the 342-foot contour. All land adjacent to the project boundary is privately owned; Georgia Power's rights are limited to flood rights along the shoreline.