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Archeological Survey of the New Haven-Hartwell Dam 230 kV Transmission Line, Madison and Hart Counties, Georgia Addendum

Author(s)
Report Number
7917
Year of Publication
1986
County
Abstract

From December, 2010, through February, 2011, Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc. (SAS) conducted a Phase I archeological survey of an approximately 46 km (29 mi) long right‑ofway for the existing New Haven‑Hartwell Dam 230 kV transmission line in Madison and Hart Counties, Georgia (Figure 1). Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC) wishes to upgrade the transmission line structures (towers) on this existing line, which had been acquired from Georgia Power Company. The area of potential effect (APE) for the proposed upgrading is focused at each structure along the transmission line, where GTC will replace guy wire anchors to improve structure supports. More specifically, GTC will screw in a new earth anchor immediately adjacent to each existing anchor, then cut off the old anchor at ground level. Each structure has four sets of guy wires, usually totaling 12 guy wires and anchors. The anchor replacement involves virtually no earth movement.

A total of 139 structures are on the transmission line from New Haven to Hartwell Dam. Each of these structures, except for eight located on federal land managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (COE) at Hartwell Dam in Hart County, was visited and shovel tested by the SAS archeological survey (Benson 2011 ). Additionally, the archeological investigation targeted high probability areas between transmission line towers, those being well‑drained landforms adjacent to large streams and rivers. The transmission line begins at the New Haven substation on the western side of Danielsville in Madison County and terminates at the Hartwell Dam substation in Hart County, southeast of Hartwell. Except for occasional residential areas, most of the transmission line traversed pasture and cultivated terrain or woodlands on a rolling hills landscape.

The Benson (20 11) report presented background information, methods, results and recommendations for all of the project corridor except for two portions at the east end that cross federal land managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Hartwell Dam. Survey of these two parcels, which included eight structures (Structures 251, 252, 260,261,262, 262A, 263, and 264), required an Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) permit. In consultation with and with advice from the COE personnel at Hartwell Dam, SAS submitted information to obtain an ARPA permit on February 10, 2011. When it became apparent a few months later that it would take longer than expected to receive the permit, GTC and SAS agreed that we would submit a report for the survey of the rest of the line, and then submit an Addendum for the additional eight structures on COE property at a later date. The ARPA permit was received on May 19, 2011. This report is the Addendum to the Benson (20 11) report and presents the results of the survey of the eight structures on COE property at Hartwell Dam (Figure 2). The reader is referred to the original report for cultural and environmental background, discussion of the methods employed and the results of the original survey. In summary, the original survey of 46 km (29 mi) of corridor and 131 structures located nine archeological sites that were composed of five prehistoric lithic scatters, three historic period house sites or artifact scatters, and one mill race. The mill race, as part of a larger mill complex, was recommended as potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The other eight sites were recommended as not eligible.