Cultural Resources Survey of the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam Fish Passage Tract

Between November 26 and December 14, 2012 Brockington and Associates, Inc. (Brockington) conducted a Phase I Cultural Resources Survey of the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam (NSBL&D) tract in Aiken County, South Carolina. Figure 1.1 provides a project location map. This survey was conducted in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (as amended). The survey was performed to determine if cultural resources are located within the project Area of Potential Effects (APE) in preparation for the proposed construction of a fish passage on the east side of the Savannah River, south of the existing lock and dam. The project APE consists of a 31-acre (12.5-hectare [ha]) tract and a 9,600-foot (2,928-meter [m]) by 100-foot (30.5-m) long corridor for a proposed access road. Within the 31-acre (12.5-ha) tract is the proposed fish passage area, adjacent to the Savannah River, and a marshaling area located south of the proposed fish passage. The APE also consists of the project viewshed. Figure 1.2 provides a project aerial map. Brockington preformed the tasks for this survey while under contract with Tetra Tech, Inc. (Tetra Tech). Geomorphological investigations were conducted for this survey by Dr. John Foss while under contract with Brockington. A Submerged Cultural Resources Investigation was also conducted in the Savannah River upstream and downstream of the NSBL&D by Southeastern Archaeological Research, Inc. (SEARCH) while under contract with Brockington. The Blair Remy Corporation, teamed with Tetra Tech, Inc., is under contract (No. W9126G- 11-D-0058) to the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Savannah District, to complete design activities for the NSBL&D fish passage structure, which is a project feature of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP). Tetra Tech is the technical lead organization for the project design. The fish passage structure is an environmental mitigation feature of the SHEP project, which is intended to facilitate the upstream and downstream migration of Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon, listed species under the Endangered Species Act, as well as other species of fish in the Savannah River. The USACE Savannah District included an option in the design contract to perform cultural resource surveys within the project APE in support of the design and layout of the fish passage project. According to the currently approved plan, the fish passage structure at the NSBL&D would involve construction of a rock ramp bypassing the lock and dam structure on the east bank (SC side) of the river. In order for the fish bypass facility to function properly and enable the USACE to have sufficient operational control of the NSBL&D to adequately maintain upstream pool levels, the project will also involve minor modification to the gates/sills on Gates No. 1 and 5 on the dam (the gates on each end of the dam). Specific design details for the modifications will be developed during the design process. During the detailed design, the exact location, length, orientation, and construction materials may be slightly revised based upon detailed modeling and new information from detailed field engineering investigations. The Phase I Cultural Resource Survey conducted by Brockington consisted of background research and terrestrial, field survey. Background research was conducted at the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA) in Columbia, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History (SCDAH) in Columbia, the Aiken County Courthouse Deed Room in Aiken, and the Aiken County Public Library in Aiken. In addition, background research was conducted at the Georgia Archaeological Site File in Athens, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Historic Preservation Division (HPD) in Atlanta, the Richmond County, Georgia Courthouse Deed Room and the Richmond County Public Library in Augusta. The background research was performed to locate any NRHP-listed properties and any other previously recorded cultural resources within or near the project APE. At the SCIAA and the Georgia Archaeological Site File, county files were reviewed to determine if any previously recorded archaeological sites are located within the project APE. In addition, survey reports associated with previous archaeological investigations near the project area were reviewed. At the SCDAH and the Georgia HPD, the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) files and Aiken County and Richmond County survey files were examined to determine if any NRHP eligible, nominated, or listed resources are within the project APE. At the Aiken County and Richmond County public libraries, county histories and cemetery records were reviewed. Deed records were obtained from the Aiken County and Richmond County Courthouses. These included records for the project tract and access road and the lock and dam property on the west (Georgia) side of the Savannah River. At the Georgia HPD, the NRHP files and Richmond County survey file were reviewed to determine if any NRHP eligible, nominated, or listed resources are within the project APE. At the Richmond County Public Library, main branch, county histories, and cemetery records were reviewed. There are also three previously recorded archaeological sites in Georgia located within one kilometer (0.6 mile) of the project tract and proposed access road. These sites are 9RI77, 9RI78, and 9RI431 (see Figure 1.3 and Table 1.1). Site 9RI77 consists of a late eighteenth- century to mid nineteenth-century cemetery and a prehistoric, contact period, and historic period artifact scatter. A portion of this site likely represents the mid eighteenth-century Chickasaw settlement of New Savannah. The site was recorded in 1980 and at that time had been heavily disturbed by the creation of clay pits, road construction, and airport construction. However, the cemetery retains integrity. Site 9RI77 was recommended eligible for the NRHP. Site 9RI78 is an early archaic lithic scatter that has been disturbed by airport construction. The site was recorded in 1980 and was recommended ineligible for the NRHP. Site 9RI431 is the remnant of a Confederate gun emplacement that was an outer defense for the city of Augusta. According to the site form, which was submitted in 2000, a 1880s topographic map showed four gun emplacements in this area. However, the construction of clay pits, along with stream erosion along Butler Creek has destroyed much of the area. In 2000, only a remnant of one gun emplacement remained. Site 9RI431 has an unknown NRHP eligibility (see Figure 1.3 and Table 1.1). However, according to the Official Military Atlas of the Civil War (Davis et al. 2003), there were no battles, skirmishes, encampments, or earthworks on the east side of the Savannah River in the project APE. In addition, there is one previously recorded architectural resource located within the project APE, the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam. Authorized by Congress in 1933, it was completed in 1937. In 1996, and again in 2001, the Georgia HPD recommended the lock and dam eligible for the NRHP (Sylvest 2013). Current research indicate that the lock and dam possesses important associations with a long-term cooperative effort by the USACE and the City of Augusta, Georgia to improve commercial navigation along the river. In addition, a visual inspection conducted in December 2012 found that the structure retains and high degree of architectural/engineering integrity. Therefore, the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam in recommended eligible for the NRHP under Criterion A (transportation history) and Criterion C (engineering).