Phase I Cultural Resource Survey for the Proposed Balus Creek Sewer Project, Hall County, Georgia

TRC conducted a Phase I cultural resources survey for the proposed Balus Creek Sewer Project in Hall County, Georgia, near Gainesville, during March 2007. The project was undertaken for Wiedeman and Singleton, Inc. The survey included both archaeological and historic structures surveys. The project corridor consists of two components: approximately 14,000 linear feet of force main easement, and an approximate 1.5-acre pump station site, including accompanying access road. Corridor width along the force main, including the actual pipe trench plus a workspace, is a maximum of 50 feet. Along several segments of the project corridor, fence lines are in place at the edge of the road right-of-way. The project corridor in these sections will be restricted to the area between the roadway and the fence line. The archaeological survey, conducted March 28, 2007, sought evidence of archaeological sites and cultural features within the project corridor. A review of the Georgia Archaeological Site File showed that no archaeological sites had been reported in the project corridor, and no archaeological sites were discovered during the current survey. The historic structures survey was conducted March 28, 2007, and sought to identify all structures 50 years old or older within the project's Area of Potential Effects (APE). Due to the buried nature of the project, the APE was defined as the proposed project corridor and any area that might be within view of any major clearing of vegetation necessary for construction of the project. Because most of the proposed corridor already has been cleared and disturbed, the project APE essentially corresponds to the width of the proposed corridor itself, except in the location of the proposed pump station where construction of above-ground facilities will create visual effects in the surrounding area. TRC identified no historic structures within the APE during the current survey. Because no cultural resources were identified during the survey, TRC recommends no further consideration of cultural resources in advance of the proposed undertaking.