Archeological Survey of the Proposed Bridgemill 115/12 kV Substation, Cherokee County, Georgia

In June, 2005 Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc., conducted a Phase I archeological survey of a proposed 9.5 ha (23.5 ac) substation tract in central Cherokee County, Georgia. The Georgia Transmission Corporation is proposing to construct a 115/12 kV substation on a rectangular tract of land located on the north side of Bells Ferry Road at an existing transmission line. The goal of the survey was to locate, describe and evaluate archeological resources within the area of potential effect for the proposed project, so that potential effects to those resources could be evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The area of potential effect is defined as the entire 9.5 ha tract, even though the substation will occupy only a portion of it. Archival research had indicated that no known sites or historic period structures were documented for the tract, but that gold mining occurred near, and thus possibly within, the project area. Numerous archeological sites have been recorded along the shores of nearby Lake Allatoona and in surrounding housing developments. Our field survey recorded one archeological site (9CK1201), a sparse quartz lithic scatter centered on a single large quartz boulder. Most of the material collected was not cultural, and the site consists only of a sparse, very localized cluster of quartz debris. We recommend that 9CK1 201 is ineligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places because it is unlikely to yield important information on the prehistory of the area (National Register criterion d). Therefore, we conclude that the proposed construction of the substation will not adversely affect any significant archeological resources.