Cultural Resource Management Vogtle-plant Scherer Transmission Line, Wadley - Wallace Dam Section Jefferson, Washington, Hancock, and Putnam Counties Resource Inventory II: Final Report

This report documents the results of a Resource Inventory II investigation of the 56.4 mile Wadley - Wallace Dam Section of the Plant Vogtle to Plant Scherer Electric Transmission Line Corridor. A total of 1,025 acres were investigated within the 150 foot wide corridor which extended through portions of Jefferson, Washington, Hancock, and Putnam Counties, Georgia. A total of 83 cultural properties were identified during this project. Multi-component historic and prehistoric properties were the rule, as 60 properties contained prehistoric components and 60 contained components dating to the historic period. All prehistoric periods recognized for Central Georgia except Paleo-Indian and Late Woodland were represented among the prehistoric components. The oldest historic component found predated the Revolutionary War, and the majority of the historic components dated between 1870 and 1930. Twenty-six cultural properties were recommended for management. An evaluation system based on age and the degree of preservation evident within each property was used to determine which properties were potentially significant archaeological resources. The report documents avoidance strategies that can be used to preserve potentially significant cultural properties in place, and discusses potential research domains that can be addressed by any future investigations.