Phase I Archaeological Survey of CR 252/Frank Road over Willacoochee River and Overflow Irwin County, Georgia

At the request of Wilbur Smith Associates, New South Associates conducted a Phase I Cultural Resource Survey of proposed bridge replacements on CR 252/Frank Road over Willacoochee River and its overflow in Irwin County, Georgia. This report documents the methods employed in this survey and the results of the archaeological investigations. The project is located northeast of the City of Ocilla, and the Area of Potential Effect (APE) and Extended Survey Corridor (ESC) consists of rural lands surrounding the proposed bridge replacement located on CR 252/Frank Road and the intersection with Falcon Road (Figures 1 and 2A-C). The total length of the APE is 914 meters (3,000 ft.). This APE is formed by two parts, including 701 meters (2,300 ft.) along CR 252/Frank Road and 213 meters (700 ft.) from the intersection and south along Falcon Road. The width of the APE extended 30 meters (100 ft.) on each side of these two roads. An additional 30 meters on each side of the APE was surveyed for archaeological resources as well, and this area encompassed the ESC. The goal of the current survey, as conducted from March 8-11, 2011, was to perform Phase I Archaeological Survey of the APE and ESC, identify previously unrecorded archaeological sites, and to assess all sites for their National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility. The survey work was conducted in order to comply with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The fieldwork and reporting was performed to comply with guidelines set forth in the Georgia Department of Transportation Environmental Procedures Manual (GDOT 2010).

The current survey discovered one isolated find, but no archaeological sites. The following sections outline the methods of investigation and results of the current Phase I Archaeological Survey. Following this introduction, Chapter II discusses the environmental context of the project area. Chapter III contains the cultural setting, while Chapter IV outlines the methods of the survey. Chapter V are the results of the survey, and is followed by the references cited. As no archaeological sites were discovered, no additional archaeological investigations are recommended within the CR 252/Frank Road project area as long as neither the APE or ESC change or shift.