Tugaloo Hiking Trail, Stephens County, Georgia HP-080327-012

With this letter we wish to report on the results of our Phase I archeological survey of the area of potential effect (APE) for a proposed section of paved hiking trail and related amenities located near the Tugaloo River in eastern Stephens County. This survey was recommended by the Georgia Historic Preservation Division in an April 18, 2008-letter reviewing a grant application for the project (letter from Elizabeth Shirk to Georgia Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites coordinator Bryan Alexander). In a follow-up communication between Ms. Shirk and Mr. Alexander (documented in a July 21, 2008 email from Bryan Alexander to Joe Ferguson), it was clarified that only the areas subject to earth disturbing activity needed survey and that the results could be presented in a letter report.

Our survey of the rather limited project area was conducted on August 28, 2008 by senior SAS field archeologist Ron Schoettmer. For field maps he had an enlarged (1 :5,000 scale) copy of the USGS topographic map of the area (Tugaloo Lake 1957/1972 quadrangle) and a similarly scaled aerial photograph map of the area (Figure 1) that showed the location of the four project components (trail, parking lot, restrooms and pavilion). Stephens County Foundation member Roy Collier met Mr. Schoettmer on the site and showed him where the components would be located. Thus, we had a ve1y clear indication of precisely what areas needed survey. The routing of the southern third of the trail had not been firmly established, and so we surveyed a corridor 100 ft wide here, to allow planners leeway in placing it. For the rest of the trail, we surveyed a 30-ft-wide corridor in which the narrow trail would be placed. The final component of the project is the construction of a mall restroom facility, and this will be just no1th of a standing log structure that is referred to as a com crib.