Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Proposed SR 53 Over Chestatee River (Lake Lanier) Bridge Replacement, Forsyth and Hall Counties, Georgia

During November 2010, Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. (EPEI) conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of the proposed State Route (SR) 53 over the Chestatee River (Lake Lanier) Bridge Replacement. The project corridor is located in Forsyth and Hall counties, Georgia. The goal of the survey was to locate and evaluate archaeological sites within the Area of Potential Effect (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 project was conducted under a contract with The LPA Group, Inc. for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). The proposed project would consist of the demolition of a structurally and functionally deficient bridge and the construction of a new replacement two-lane bridge in its place over the Chestatee River (Lake Lanier) approximately 7.3 miles west of the City of Gainesville at the Hall County/Forsyth County line. The project would replace the existing structurally deficient steel-truss bridge that currently exists at this location. Portions of the survey were conducted on lands owned and managed by the United States Corps of Engineers (USACE). EPEI was required to obtain a federally-issued Archaeological Resources Protection Act {ARPA) permit to undertake work on this property. Investigations were conducted under ARPA Permit No. DACWOl-4-11-0446. A review of the Georgia Archaeological Site File (GASF) at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens was conducted prior to the initiation of fieldwork. There are seven previously identified archaeological sites, 9F0129, 9HL1, 9HL48, 9HL135, 9HL136, 9HL322, and 9HL323, within a !-kilometer radius of the project area. None of these sites are in the area surveyed for the current project; however, 9HL1 is recorded within the project boundaries beneath the waters of Lake Lanier. Based on the site description provided for the initial recordation, it appears likely that 9HL1 was plotted in the wrong location when it was entered into the GASF records. A detailed discussion of this discrepancy is provided in Chapter V of this report. One new archaeological site, 9F0568, was found during the current study. Site 9F0568 is a late nineteenth or early twentieth century stone-lined well and a historic ceramic isolate. Close interval shovel testing and visual inspection of the surrounding area found no evidence of an associated structure. In addition to the field survey, no evidence for a structure at this location was found during a review of historic maps and aerial photographs of the area. Site 9F0568 is recommended ineligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), and no further investigation is suggested. Based on the results of the survey, EPEI recommends that the SR 53 over Chestatee River (Lake Lanier) Bridge Replacement project be allowed to proceed as currently designed as it will have no effect on archaeological resources eligible for the NRHP.