An Intensive Cultural Resources Survey of the Proposed Mill Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility, Americus, Georgia

The City of Americus proposed to construct a new wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) at the confluence of Mill Creek with Muckalee Creek. The project will be funded through a loan grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and administered by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) of the Department of Natural Resources. As part of its federally mandated responsibilities (National Historic Preservation Act of 1966), EPA, through the Georgia EPD, required the City to conduct an intensive level cultural resources survey. The purpose of the survey was to locate, identify, and evaluate any significant cultural resources that might be adversely affected by construction or operation of the proposed WWTF. The survey was conducted by Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc., on 12-14 April, 1988. In all, 21 ha (52 ac) and 0.76 km (2500 ft) of sewer corridor were examined by surface survey and systematic subsurface shovel testing. A literature review was conducted for known or anticipated prehistoric and historic sites. The field survey found two archeological sites, one (9Su(SAS)3) on the proposed WWTF tract, and the other (9Su(SAS)4) near the proposed sewer corridor. The principal investigator has recommended that 9Su(SAS)3 is eligible to the National Register of Historic Places at the state level of significance under criterion D. This site covers about 9.2 ha (23 ac) of the WWTF tract and yielded Archaic and Woodland/Mississippian components in stratified sequence, as well as portions of a documented historic Creek Indian settlement. The other site is recommended as ineligible to the National Register. The construction of the proposed Mill Creek WWTF will destroy portions of site 9Su(SAS)3. It is recommended that a program of archeological data recovery be implemented to mitigate the loss of the significant information contained in the site. Other portions of the site can be preserved and protected by fencing and construction monitoring.