Phase I Archaeological Survey for the Rockdale County Water Treatment Plant Rockdale County

TRC Garrow Associates, Inc. (TRC), was contracted by CH2M Hill to conduct archaeological and historic architecture surveys for a proposed 2-acre (0.8-ha) pump station, a 100-foot-wide and 7,500-foot-long (30-x-2,286 m) pipeline corridor, and a 96.5-acre (39-ha) water treatment plant in Rockdale County, Georgia. The exact location of the pump station was unknown during the archaeological field survey but all undeveloped areas within the proposed project area were examined. The pipeline corridor begins at the pump station site and parallels the northeast side of the Olympic Parkway to the Gees Mill Road intersection. At the Olympic Parkway and Gees Mill Road intersection, the pipeline corridor follows the southwest side of the still-visible old Gees Mill Road right-of-way to the Yellow River. The pipeline corridor continues in the Yellow River to end at the water treatment plant, which is located on the Yellow River. The 3,800-foot (1,158-m) pipeline corridor section to be located in the Yellow River was not surveyed, as it occurs underwater. The archaeological survey included documentation of all archaeological sites and isolated finds of cultural material located within the project corridor and tracts. Numerous archaeological sites occur within a 1-mile radius of the project area. The 2acre pump station tract has been subjected to previous cultural resource surveys, which resulted in the identification of sites 98052 and 98090 (Baldwin et al. 1994; Gardner, Markham, and Roberts 1994). No previously recorded archaeological sites occur within either the pipeline corridor or the water treatment plant. This current survey relocated 98052, which occurs in the proposed pump station tract. Site 98090 was not relocated, because it apparently has been destroyed by construction activities associated with Olympic Parkway and the Georgia International Horse Park. One new archaeological site, 980132, was identified within the water treatment plant tract. No sites were identified in the pipeline corridor. Sites 98052 and 980132 are recommended as ineligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). No further work is recommended. The historic architecture background research and survey were conducted in February 2000. A review of the NRHP files at the Georgia Historic Preservation Division (HPD) identified no historic architectural resources in the Area of Potential Effects (APE) that are pending or listed on the NRHP. The APE was defined as the area in which the proposed water treatment plant, pipeline corridor, and pump station would physically or visually affect any historic architectural resources. A 1992 historic resources survey of Rockdale County did not identify any resources located within the present architectural APE boundary (Jaeger/Pyburn 1992). Pedestrian and vehicular reconnaissance of the project's APE was undertaken to locate historic architectural resources. No historic architectural resources were identified in the APE during the present survey. Therefore, no further historic architectural work is recommended.