appendix h - Amador County

APPENDIX H
A Cultural Resources Survey for the
Newman Ridge Project
Amador County, California
Eric Strother, M.A./R.P.A.
and
Lauren Del Bondio
May 6, 2011
A Cultural Resources Survey for the
Newman Ridge Project
Amador County, California
Prepared by:
_________________________________
Eric Strother, M.A.,
Register of Professional Archaeologists (#15381)
and
Lauren Del Bondio
Tom Origer & Associates
Post Office Box 1531
Rohnert Park, California 94927
(707) 584-8200
(707) 584-8300 (fax)
[email protected]
Requested by:
Newman Minerals, LLC
3740 Hwy 104
PO Box 1730
Ione, CA 95640
May 6, 2011
ABSTRACT
Tom Origer & Associates conducted a cultural resources survey for the Newman Ridge
Project, Amador County, California. The project area consists of approximately 391 acres of
land.
This study included archival research at the North Central Information Center, California
State University, Sacramento (NCIC Record Search No. AMA-10-24), examination of the
library and files of Tom Origer & Associates, contact with the Native American community,
and field inspection of the study area. Field survey resulted in the finding of five previously
recorded cultural resources and six newly identified cultural resources. Documentation
pertaining to this study is on file at the offices of Tom Origer & Associates (File No. 10-102).
Synopsis
Project:
Location:
Quadrangle:
Study Type:
Scope:
Finds:
Newman Ridge Project
Near Ione, Amador County, California
Portions of Ione and Irish Hill 7.5’ series
Intensive survey
~391 acres of land
Nine historic-era cultural resources and two prehistoric-era cultural resources
i
Project Personnel
Tom Origer participated in the field phase of this study and provided project oversight. Mr.
Origer obtained a Master of Arts degree in Anthropology from San Francisco State University
in 1983, after obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology at Sonoma State
University in 1974. He has over thirty years of experience in cultural resources management
throughout Northern California. His experience includes work that has been completed in
compliance with local ordinances, CEQA, NEPA, and Section 106 (NHPA) requirements. Mr.
Origer has been teaching archaeological analysis and field archaeology classes at Santa Rosa
Junior College since 1979. He is affiliated with the Society for California Archaeology
(Presidential duties from April 1998 to April 2001), the International Association for Obsidian
Studies (charter member and President from 1990-1992), the Archaeological Institute of
America (President of the North Coast Society from 1985 to 1987), the Society for American
Archaeology, the Society for Historical Archaeology, and the Register of Professional
Archaeologists (#10333).
Eric Strother prepared this report. He has over twelve years of professional archaeological
experience working throughout California, and has been with Tom Origer & Associates since
November 2010. Mr. Strother holds a Master of Arts in Anthropology with an emphasis in
human and non-human osteology, and meets the Secretary of the Interior’s standards for
archaeology. Mr. Strother has prepared numerous technical reports meeting CEQA and
Section 106 standards, as well as direct field crews on both large and small-scale projects. Mr.
Strother has also taught Physical Anthropology and Field Archaeology at California State
University, East Bay, and assisted Sonoma County law enforcement with forensic
assessments. He is listed on the Register of Professional Archaeologists (#15381) and is a
member of the Society for California Archaeology.
Lauren Del Bondio participated in the field phase of this study and assisted in the preparation
of this report. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology at Sonoma State
University and has been involved in Northern California archaeology for seven years.
Eileen Barrow participated in the field phase of this study. Mrs. Barrow has been with Tom
Origer & Associates since 2005. She holds a Master of Arts in cultural resources management
from Sonoma State University. Professional affiliations include the Society for California
Archaeology, the Cotati Historical Society, the Sonoma County Historical Society, and the
Western Obsidian Focus Group.
ii
CONTENTS
i i ii iii 1 2 3 3 5 5 7 9 9 9 9 13 14 16 18 ABSTRACT
Synopsis
Project Personnel
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
REGULATORY CONTEXT
Resource Definitions
Significance Criteria
PROJECT SETTING
Study Area Location and Description
Cultural Setting
STUDY PROCEDURES AND RESULTS
Native American Contact
Archival Study Procedures
Archival Study Results
Field Survey Procedures
Field Survey Results
SUMMARY
MATERIALS CONSULTED
APPENDIX A
Native American Contacts
FIGURES
2 6 Figure 1. Project Vicinity
Figure 2. Study Location
iii
INTRODUCTION
Tom Origer & Associates conducted a cultural resources survey for the Newman Ridge
Development Project. The study area comprises approximately 391 acres of land located
along the west end of the Ione Valley near Ione, Amador County, California (Figure 1). The
Newman Ridge Project proposes to develop a new hard rock quarry (“Newman Ridge
Quarry” or “Quarry”), and a new industrial center that includes various material processing
plants and a railroad loadout facility directly off of the existing Union Pacific-Ione Branch
rail line (“Edwin Center”). The proposed Newman Ridge Quarry and Edwin Center served as
the archaeological study areas for the present project. Proposed project improvements are
described below:
1. The Newman Ridge Quarry is located south of the Edwin Center. It comprises
approximately 278 acres of land and will serve for hard rock quarrying. A
Conditional Use Permit (CUP) and Reclamation Plan (RP) are required for the
proposed Newman Ridge Quarry.
2. The Edwin Center is located to the north of the proposed Newman Ridge Quarry. The
Edwin Center is currently designated for aggregate and construction material
processing as well as loadout of aggregate material to trucks and railcars. The
proposed Edwin Center will include a railroad loadout facility directly off of the
existing Union Pacific Ione Branch rail.. Establishment of the Edwin Center will
require approval of a General Plan Amendment (GPA) and re-zone for a 113-acre
area.
3. An existing road will connect the proposed Edwin Center to the Newman Ridge
Quarry. This road will be extended to include a new bridge span over Dry Creek, and
will be used by haul units and/or an overland conveying system to haul shot rock or
crushed rock from the Newman Ridge Quarry. The road will also be used by Quarry
personnel vehicles and rolling stock equipment to access the Quarry.
The proposed permit modifications for the Newman Ridge Project are governed by Amador
County's Surface Mining Ordinance (County Code Chapter 7.36) and the State Surface
Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA). Additional approvals and permits will be sought as
part of the project including those from federal, state, and local public agencies. Therefore,
the following "Regulatory Context" includes requirements specified in both Section 106 of
the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106) and the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) and its guidelines (Title 14 CCR §15064.5).
The archaeological field inspection involved approximately 391 acres of land, which
comprises the Newman Ridge Project area. This study was requested and authorized by
Newman Minerals, LLC.
1
REGULATORY CONTEXT
The proposed project is subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and
because the project will likely require federal permitting it will also be subject to Section 106
of the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106). These acts require that historic
properties be considered as part of the environmental review process. This is accomplished
by an inventory of resources within a study area and by assessing the potential that cultural
resources could be affected by development.
Compliance with Section 106 requires that agencies make an effort to identify historic
properties that may be affected by a project, and gather information to evaluate the property's
eligibility for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (National Register). If
historic resources are identified within a project area, they are evaluated using National
Register criteria promulgated in 36CFR60.
Figure 1. Project Vicinity (adapted from the 1957 [revised 1970] Sacramento, CA 1:250,000-scale
USGS map).
For National Register purposes, the age requirement is generally 50 years; however, more
recent resources could be eligible for listing.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that cultural resources be
considered during the environmental review process. This is accomplished by an inventory of
resources within a study area and by assessing the potential that cultural resources could be
affected by development.
2
This cultural resources survey was designed to satisfy environmental issues specified in both
Section 106 and CEQA and its guidelines (Title 14 CCR §15064.5) by: (1) identifying all
cultural resources within the project area; (2) offering a preliminary significance evaluation
of the identified cultural resources; (3) assessing resource vulnerability to effects that could
arise from project activities; and (4) offering suggestions designed to protect resource
integrity, as warranted.
Resource Definitions
The National Register of Historic Places defines a historic property as a district, site,
building, structure, or object significant in American history, architecture, engineering,
archaeology, and culture, and may be of value to the Nation as a whole or important only to
the community in which it is located (National Park Service [NPS] 1985:2;). These resource
types are described by the National Park Service (2002) and the California Office of Historic
Preservation (OHP 1995:2) as follows.
Site. A site is the location of a significant event, a prehistoric or historic
occupation or activity, or a building or structure, whether standing, ruined, or
vanished, where the location itself possesses historic, cultural, or
archaeological value regardless of the value of any existing structure.
Building. A building, such as a house, barn, church, hotel, or similar
construction, is created principally to shelter any form of human activity.
"Building" may also be used to refer to a historically and functionally related
unit, such as a courthouse and jail, or a house and barn.
Structure. The term "structure" is used to distinguish from buildings those
functional constructs made usually for purposes other than creating shelter.
Object. The term "object" is used to distinguish from buildings and structures
those constructions that are primarily artistic in nature or are relatively small
in scale and simply constructed. Although it may be, by nature or design,
movable, an object is associated with a specific setting or environment.
District. A district possesses a significant concentration, linkage, or
continuity of sites, buildings, structures, or objects united historically or
aesthetically by plan or physical development.
Significance Criteria
Under Section 106 the importance of an identified historic property, or archaeological site is
evaluated in terms of National Register of Historic Places criteria put forth in 36CFR60, as
follows:
3
The quality of significance is present in properties that possess integrity of
location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association,
and:
A. That are associated with events that have made a significant contribution
to the broad patterns of our history; or
B. That are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or
C. That embody the distinct characteristics of a type, period, or method of
construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high
artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity
whose components may lack individual distinction; or
D. That have yielded or may be likely to yield, information important in
prehistory or history.
Under CEQA, when a project might affect a cultural resource (Site, Building, Structure,
Object, or District) the project proponent is required to conduct an assessment to determine
whether the effect may be one that is significant. Consequently, it is necessary to determine
the importance of resources that could be affected. The importance of a resource is measured
in terms of criteria for inclusion on the California Register of Historical Resources (Public
Resources Code §5024.1; Title 14 CCR, §4850.3) listed below. A resource may be important
if it meets any one of the criteria below, or if it is already listed on the California Register of
Historical Resources or a local register of historical resources.
An important historical resource is one which:
1. Is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the
broad patterns of local or regional history, or the cultural heritage of
California or the United States.
2. Is associated with the lives of persons important to local, California, or
national history.
3. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region or method
of construction, or represents the work of a master, or possesses high
artistic values.
4. Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important to the
prehistory or history of the local area, California or the nation.
Under CEQA, if an archaeological site does not meet any of the above criteria it should be
evaluated under the criteria of Public Resources Code 21083.2 to determine if it is a “unique
archaeological resource”. A “unique archaeological resource” is:
4
. . . an archaeological artifact, object, or site about which it can be clearly
demonstrated that, without merely adding to the current body of knowledge, there is a
high probability that it meets any of the following criteria:
(1) Contains information needed to answer important scientific research
questions and that there is a demonstrable public interest in that information
(2) Has a special and particular quality such as being the oldest of its type or
the best available example of its type
(3) Is directly associated with a scientifically recognized important prehistoric
or historic event or person.
The California OHP suggests that all resources over 45 years old be recorded for inclusion in
the OHP filing system (OHP 1995:2), although professional judgment is urged in
determining whether a resource warrants documentation.
PROJECT SETTING
Study Area Location and Description
The study area consists of approximately 391 acres that will be subject to ground
disturbance. The study area comprises the Edwin Center (113 acres) and the Newman Ridge
Quarry (278 acres) as shown on the Ione and Irish Hill, California 7.5’ USGS topographic
quadrangles (Figure 2). The study area consists of both hilly and flat land. Dry Creek runs
northeast to southwest between the Edwin Center and the Newman Ridge Quarry, and
numerous seasonal drainages are located throughout the study area. Newman Hill marks the
peak elevation of the Newman Ridge Quarry and Dutschke Hill (the 1957 USGS Sutter
Creek quad labels this “Jones Butte”) is located in the southern portion of the Edwin Center
(Figure 2). The Southern Pacific Railroad passes through the northern end of the study area.
Four recognized soil types are located within the study area (USDA Web Soil Survey 2011).
The Edwin Center is characterized by the Inks loam and Rock land (IrE, 3%-45% slopes) and
Red Bluff-Mokelumne complex (RbD, 5%-16% slopes). IrE soils are described
5
Figure 2. Study Location (adapted from the 1962 Ione and Irish Hill, California 7.5’ USGS maps).
6
as a very cobbly loam typically located over unweathered bedrock and are somewhat
excessively drained. These soils are located on hills and terraces. Soils within the Newman
Ridge Mine are identified as Auburn-Argonaut silt loams (AwC, 0%-16% slopes) and
Auburn-Argonaut very rocky silt loams (AxD, 3%-31% slopes). Both are found on hilly
terrain and are well drained soils.
The study area is underlain by two basic rock units: the basement complex, found in the
Newman Ridge Quarry, and the overlying sedimentary rock sequence found in the Edwin
Center (Chapman and Bishop 1975:7). The basement complex is composed of highly folded,
metamorphosed volcanic and sedimentary rocks and related rocks of pre-Cenozoic age. The
basement complex consists of metamorphic rocks of the Calaveras Formation, Amador
Group, Mariposa Formation, intrusions of plutonic rocks, and serpentine. The Amador
Group, believed to be of the late Middle and early Late Jurassic, consists almost entirely of
greenstone (metamorphosed andesitic and basaltic lavas) and amphibole schist of the
Logtown Ridge Formation. Outcroppings of these rocks can be seen throughout the Newman
Ridge Quarry study area.
The vicinity surrounding the Edwin Center is underlain by at least four sedimentary rock
formations; pre-Ione beds, Ione Formation, Valley Springs Formation, and the Mehrten
Formation. According to the Geologic Map of Amador County, California (Carlson and
Clark 1954: Plate 1), the northern half of the Edwin Center is underlain by the Ione
Formation. Alternating lenticular beds of sandstone and claystone with lenses of brown
carbonaceous claystones and lignite make up the Ione Formation. These beds are commonly
white but may be colored red, yellow, or purple by mineral staining. Within the Ione region
of Amador County, layers from this formation were mined for lignite during the early 1860s
to the mid-1940s (Carlson and Clark 1954:203).
The vicinity surrounding Dutschke Hill is composed of the Ione Formation and Valley
Springs Formation. The Valley Springs Formation dates to the Miocene and is characterized
by rhyolitic ash, pumice and tuff, green clay. According to Carlson and Clark (1954), the
Edwin Mine (or "Edwin Deposit") was located around the base of Dutschke Hill, just outside
the southern boundary of the Edwin Center study area. Laterite, a low silica clay derived
from heavily weathered Jurassic greenstone, is located just north of the Edwin clay area,
around Dutschke Hill.
Cultural Setting
Archaeological evidence indicates that human occupation of California began at least 10,000
years ago (Moratto 1984:71). Early occupants appear to have had an economy based largely
on hunting, with limited exchange, and social structures based on the extended family unit.
Later, milling technology and an inferred acorn economy were introduced. This
diversification of economy appears to be coeval with the development of sedentism and
population growth and expansion. Sociopolitical complexity and status distinctions based on
wealth are also observable in the archaeological record, as evidenced by an increased range
and distribution of trade goods (e.g., shell beads, obsidian tool stone), which are possible
indicators of both status and increasingly complex exchange systems.
7
At the time of European settlement, the study area was situated in an area controlled by the
Plains and Northern Sierra Miwok (Levy 1978: 399-400). The Miwok were hunter-gatherers
who relied heavily upon the use of the acorn. Other nuts, seeds and grasses were harvested,
and both small and large game were hunted. They settled in large, permanent villages about
which were distributed seasonal camps and task-specific sites. Primary village sites were
occupied throughout the year and other sites were visited in order to procure particular
resources that were especially abundant or available only during certain seasons. Sites often
were situated near fresh water sources and in ecotones where plant life and animal life were
diverse and abundant. For more information about the Plains and Northern Sierra Miwok see
Levy (1978), and Kroeber (1925).
Historic Setting
The study area is located within a portion of the Mexican-era Rancho Arroyo Seco Land
Grant. The Arroyo Seco, consisting of 11 leagues of land, was granted to Teodosio Yerba
(Yorba) on May 8, 1840 by Mexican Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado (Thompson and West
1881:243). Following at least 20 years of cattle and sheep ranching, geologists discovered
that lands within the rancho offered a variety of mining opportunities. Clay mining began in
Amador County as early as 1864 with the opening of the Dosch Pit between Ione and
Carbondale (Carlson and Clark 1954:216). Prized for its highly refractory properties, Edwin
clay has been mined from this area since at least the mid-1920s. Edwin clay was seen as
especially valuable since it is a very refractory clay and produced the highest grade of heatresistant fire bricks. These bricks were used in high-temperature furnaces employed by the
steel, glass, and smelting industries (Waechter et al. 2007:5). Four underground mines and
four open pits were utilized to extract Edwin clay from near the base of the lower member of
the Ione formation. The Edwin clay bed normally ranged up to 12 ft. thick. The clay was
shipped to Pittsburg, California where it was used for the manufacture of fire brick (Carlson
and Clark 1954:223).
Deep red laterite and lateritic clay were mined just north of the Edwin clay area, around
Dutschke Hill. The economic value of laterite was in its low silica content, which was found
at the upper (more weathered) profile of the deposit. It was not until the mid-twentieth
century that a commercial use for laterite was found, although it had been discovered by
geologists working in the area of Jones Butte prior to that. Permanente Cement Company,
located in Santa Clara County, began using laterite in their portland cement in 1949. The
laterite was blasted and loaded onto trucks with a power shovel. It was then hauled to the
railroad about a half-mile away where it was shipped by rail to Permanente (Carlson and
Clark 1954:223).
In addition to clay, deposits of coal and iron were found within several areas of the rancho.
By the early 1890s, the Ione Coal and Iron Company owned approximately 33, 300 acres of
land within the Rancho Arroyo Seco (Boyde 1917). The site of Coal Mine No. 3 and its
underground workings were located within the northern portion of the current Edwin Center.
8
STUDY PROCEDURES AND RESULTS
Native American Contact
On January 7, 2011, Tom Origer & Associates contacted local Native American
representatives Glen Villa, Jr. and Glen Villa, Sr. to solicit information about the potential for
Native American cultural resources within the study area. The Villa's indicated that the areas
within the vicinity of Dry Creek were sensitive for the presence of cultural resources.
Additionally, Glen Villa Jr. provided photographs of rock art that had been observed in the
Comanche vicinity (Villa and Villa personal communication 2011).
Archival Study Procedures
Archival research included examination of the library and project files at Tom Origer &
Associates. A review (Record Search Number AMA-10-24) was completed of the
archaeological site base maps and records, survey reports, and other materials on file at the
North Central Information Center (NCIC), California State University, Sacramento. Sources
of information included but were not limited to the current listings of properties on the
National Register of Historic Places, California Historical Landmarks, California Register of
Historical Resources, and California Points of Historical Interest as listed in the Office of
Historic Preservation’s Historic Property Directory (OHP 2009).
The Office of Historic Preservation has determined that structures in excess of 45 years of
age should be considered potentially important historical resources, and former building and
structure locations could be potentially important historic archaeological sites. Archival
research included an examination of historical maps to gain insight into the nature and extent
of historical development in the general vicinity, and especially within the study area. Maps
ranged from hand-drawn maps of the 1800s (e.g., General Land Office) to topographic maps
issued by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and United States Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE).
In addition, ethnographic literature that describes appropriate Native American groups,
county histories, and other primary and secondary sources were reviewed. Sources reviewed
are listed in the "Materials Consulted" section of this report.
Archival Study Results
Archival research conducted at the NCIC found that five previously recorded archaeological
sites are located within the study area. All five of these sites are located within the Edwin
Center (Table 1). No previously recorded sites are located within the Newman Ridge Quarry.
Six previously recorded archaeological sites are located within a one-mile radius of the
Edwin Center and 15 previously recorded sites are located within a one-mile radius of the
Newman Ridge Quarry (Table 2).
9
Table 1. Previously recorded archaeological sites located within the study area (NCIC: AMA-10-24).
Primary No.
Trinomial
Site Description
Reference
P-3-765
CA-AMA-540H Segment of the Southern Pacific Railroad's Ione
Larson and Flores
Branch.
(2002)
P-3-899
Small concrete building constructed circa 1948
Napoli (1998a)
for explosives storage associated with laterite
mining in the area.
P-3-900
Small concrete building constructed circa 1948
Napoli (1998b)
for explosives storage associated with laterite
mining in the area.
P-3-901
CA-AMA-614H Site consists of collapsed and water-filled shafts Windmiller (1998a)
and pits associated with Ione Coal and Iron
Company's Coal Mine No. 3. Other site features
include a small earthen reservoir, ditches,
prospects, a road and historic debris.
P-3-902
CA-AMA-615H Truck scales foundations reportedly used by Windmiller (1998b)
Kaiser Permanente during post-World War II
mining of laterite south of Edwin siding.
Table 2. Previously recorded archaeological sites located within a one-mile radius of the study area
(NCIC: AMA-10-24).
P#
Trinomial
Site Description
P-3-173
CA-AMA-138
Prehistoric dance houses with trade beads, chert arrows, and obsidian dart.
P-3-179
CA-AMA-144
Bedrock mortars (five cups) on rock outcropping near seasonal drainage. One
pestle located at site.
P-3-180
CA-AMA-145
Lithic scatter and bedrock mortars (14 cups) on rock outcropping near
seasonal drainage. Artifacts include 35+ pestles, 2 manos, flakes, hammer
stones and core choppers.
P-3-182
CA-AMA-147
Exogenous caves and cave sites. Artifacts include ground stone and one
mano.
P-3-384
CA-AMA-349H Mining area with an open, excavated mine trench and covered shaft.
Numerous pits and ditches throughout area; some show tailings and refuse
accumulations.
P-3-383
CA-AMA-348/H Site consists of the remains of stone buildings and other farm appurtenances
that constitute the Dixon property; partially buried BRM with 16+ cups.
P-3-387
CA-AMA-352
Prehistoric BRM food processing station (33 cups) and occupation area
marked by a large scatter of basalt and chert flakes.
P-3-903
CA-AMA-616
Two BRM loci with possible housepit depressions.
P-3-904
CA-AMA-617
Two BRM loci on greenstone outcroppings with six cups.
P-3-905
CA-AMA-618
BRM on greenstone outcropping showing three cups.
P-3-906
CA-AMA-619
BRM on weathered lava flow showing 12+ cups.
P-3-907
CA-AMA-620H Earthen dam that spans shallow seasonal drainage. Drainage originates at
clay pit 945 ft. to the north.
P-3-908
CA-AMA-621H Clay mine: large rectangular pit, stockpiles of white clay; small surface
scatter of trash and road trace. Artifacts include remnants of cable, small
condiment jar, broken glass tumbler, and unidentified can fragment.
P-3-909
CA-AMA-622
Greenstone quarry workshop and BRM's (four cups).
P-3-910
CA-AMA-623
Greenstone quarry and workshop. Clusters of stones seen in are may
represent hearths.
P-3-911
CA-AMA-624
BRM on greenstone outcropping located on south side of east-west seasonal
drainage; two shallow (incipient) cups noted.
P-3-912
CA-AMA-625
Possible late period village site marked by eight saucer-shaped depressions
on a sandy hill.
10
P#
P-3-913
Trinomial
CA-AMA-626
P-3-914
CA-AMA-627
P-3-915
CA-AMA-628/H
P-3-917
CA-AMA-630H
Site Description
Small greenstone quarry and workshop located on five rock outcroppings.
Lithic shatter observed throughout the area.
Possible late period village site marked by six saucer-shaped depressions on
hill. Several BRM loci in vicinity.
Historic mining loci with debris: square nails, fragmented white porcelain,
dark green bottle glass, and purple glass. Prehistoric site indicators include
BRM (13 cups) on rock exposure and one pestle.
Clay mine: large irregular-shaped pit with levee and stockpile remnants.
In 2007, Far Western Anthropological Research Group conducted a cultural resources
sensitivity and constraints analysis (Waechter et al. 2007). The study encompassed a 16,100acre area of Ione Valley between the Sacramento/Amador County line and the city of Ione.
The current Newman Ridge Study Area was included in the larger 2007 study. Archival
research, records searches, historical map review, and discussions with local Native
Americans was carried out during the 2007 study. Field inspections were not conducted as
part of the study.
As a result of the 2007 analysis, six reported (but not previously recorded) cultural resources
were identified within the current Newman Ridge Study Area (Table 3). Each of these
reported locations was inspected during the current survey (see Field Survey Results below).
Table 3. Cultural resources identified within the Newman Ridge Study Area according to archival and
historical map research results from the Rancho Arroyo Seco/Howard Ranch Cultural Resources
Sensitivity and Constraints Analysis (Waechter et al. 2007).
Field No.* Description
Location
Reference
HR-64
McDonald's
North portion of Edwin Center
Boyde (1917) Rancho Map
Ditch
HR-69
Road to Coal North portion of Edwin Center
Boyde (1917) Rancho Map
Mine
HR-75
Reservoir
North portion of Edwin Center
Boyde (1917) Rancho Map
HR-81
Pump House
Northwestern portion of Edwin Center
Boyde (1917) Rancho Map
HR-82
Road From Galt
Western portion of Edwin Center
Boyde (1917) Rancho Map
NA-21
"Pumphouse"
Southern end of access road between Edwin Native American Personal
Milling Station
Center and Newman Ridge Quarry.
Communication
*HR: Historic-Period Resources; NA: Native American Cultural Sites.
Portions of the study area have been surveyed in the past, including three studies conducted
in the Edwin Center (AM-5213, AM-5240, and AM-6336) and one within the Newman
Ridge Mine (AM-5218).
In 1998, as part of the Reed Minerals permit study, Archaeological Consultant, Ric
Windmiller conducted a 28-acre survey in what is now the northeastern portion of the Edwin
Center (Windmiller et al. 1998, AM-5213). As a result of the study, two small post-World
War II buildings used for explosives storage (P-3-899 and P-3-900), features associated with
the Ione Coal and Iron Company's late 19th century Coal Mine No. 3 (P-3-901), and a
modern truck scales site (P-3-902) were identified within the study area. Recommendations
regarding project findings indicated that each of the cultural resources observed during the
study either did not meet the criteria of eligibility for the California Register of Historical
11
Resources, or lacked the integrity to convey their historical importance (Windmiller et al.
1998).
In 2004, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), contracted with Far Western
Anthropological Research Group, Inc., conducted a cultural resources inventory of segments
of rural conventional highways in Caltrans Central Region District 10, which included the
segment of Hwy 104 that borders the northern edge of the Edwin Center (Leach-Palm et al.
2004, AM-5240). As a result of the study, a segment of the Southern Pacific Railroad's Ione
Branch (P-3-765) was recorded within the Caltrans right-of-way. As noted in Table 1 above,
P-3-765 passes through the north-northeastern portion of the Edwin Center. The State of
California DPR 523 form originally prepared for P-3-765 was amended during the current
project to include the approximately 2,850 ft. segment of track within the study area. The
amendment also included the previously un-recorded Edwin Siding and loading ramp.
In 1976, Ann S. Peak & Associates conducted a cultural resources study of the Interpace
Properties located within Amador and Sacramento Counties (Ann S. Peak & Associates
1976, AM-6336). Approximately 10% of the landholdings near Ione, California were
assessed during the project. A small portion of the 1976 study included what is now the north
third of the Edwin Center. Although no cultural resources were identified within the current
study area, three prehistoric sites were identified within the vicinity (P-3-179, -180, and 182).
The project area is located within the vicinity of ethnographic villages Chakanesü and
Upüsüni. Levy (1976:400, Fig.2) places Chakanesü on the south bank of Sutter Creek near
Ione, and Upüsüni near Jackson Creek, approximately seven miles southeast of the Newman
Ridge Study Area.
The 1917 Map of the Ranch Arroyo Seco, Sacramento and Amador Counties (Boyde 1917)
was reviewed during the current study. The 1917 map shows subdivisions of land within the
Rancho (as surveyed by J.B. Robinson in 1893, and resurveyed by J.C. Boyde in July 1917),
and depicts land owned by the Ione Coal and Iron Company, containing an area of 33,276.47
acres. It shows a number of features that were located within the study area, specifically
within the Edwin Center. It does not depict any features within the Newman Ridge Quarry
study area.
The 1917 map suggests that the portal for Coal Mine No. 3 is located near the north corner of
the Edwin Center, between State Hwy 104 and the Amador Branch Railroad right-of-way.
This area also shows a reservoir located just south of the portal with a pipeline leading in and
out of the reservoir to the east and west. The pipeline is referred to as "McDonalds Ditch"
approximately one-mile to the northeast of the Edwin Center. Additional map features
include the Amador Branch Railroad passing through the north portion of the study area,
"Road to Coal Mine" entering the property from the northwest, a "Pump House" located on
the west side of the Amador Ranch Railroad, "Road to Galt" entering the property from the
west, and "Air Shafts" south of the "Road to Galt." The railroad siding at Edwin is not
depicted on the 1917 Ranch map. The "Road from Martin Place to Coal Mine" runs northeast
to southwest through the southern end of the proposed access road, along the north side of
12
Dry Creek. Up to the late 1950s this road connected with the current Dutschke Road, located
to the northeast.
Early historical maps do not show any buildings within the Edwin Center or Newman Ridge
Mine (GLO #1 1859; Thompson 1877; USGS 1888 and 1907). The 1962 Sutter Creek USGS
15-minute map shows that the Edwin siding railroad spur is present and Loch Lane (the
reservoir bordering the proposed access road) is present. Clay mining is prevalent within
Dutschke Hill. However, no mining is indicated in the Edwin Center. The 1957 Sutter Creek
USGS 15-minute map shows that Dutschke Hill is referred to as "Jones Butte." Clay mining
is occurring on Jones Butte at this time. Edwin Siding is present but Loch Lane is absent,
suggesting that the reservoir was constructed sometime between 1957 and 1962. The 1957
USGS map clearly shows that Dutschke Road connects to the historic county road to the
southwest, referred to as "Road from Martin Place to Coal Mine" on the 1917 Boyde Rancho
Arroyo Seco map. The 1941 and 1944 Sutter Creek USGS 15-minute maps show that the
Edwin railroad siding is present but is shorter than that seen on the 1957-1962 USGS maps.
A structure is located at the end of the spur, on the north side. No indications of clay mining
are seen on Jones Butte. However, Carlson and Clark (1954:220) state that mining of Edwin
clay at Jones Butte started as early as 1925.
Field Survey Procedures
Field survey of the Edwin Center and Newman Ridge Quarry was conducted by Eileen
Barrow, Lauren Del Bondio, Phil Loyd, Tom Origer, and Eric Strother between December 20
and 22, 2010. Surface visibility was generally good, ground vegetation being a slight
hindrance. A hoe was used as necessary to clear small patches of vegetation so that the soils
could be inspected. A second field visit was conducted by Lauren Del Bondio, Tom Origer,
and Eric Strother between January 10 and January 11, 2011, to record cultural resources
identified during the December 2010 survey.
Based on the results of pre-field research it was anticipated that cultural resources could be
found within the study area. Prehistoric archaeological site indicators expected to be found in
the region include but are not limited to: obsidian and chert flakes and chipped stone tools;
grinding and mashing implements such as slabs and handstones, and mortars and pestles;
bedrock outcrops and boulders with mortar cups; and locally darkened midden soils
containing some of the previously listed items plus fragments of bone, shellfish, and fire
affected stones. Historic period site indicators generally include: fragments of glass, ceramic,
and metal objects; milled and split lumber; and structure and feature remains such as building
foundations and discrete trash deposits (e.g., wells, privy pits, dumps).
Knowing that the Edwin Center study area was the location of the Ione Coal and Iron
Company Coal Mine No. 3 (P-3-901), it was anticipated that historic cultural materials would
be present in the study area. Additional potentially sensitive areas identified by Waechter et
al. (2007): HR-64, HR-69, HR-75, HR-81, and HR-82, were inspected during the survey.
In the Newman Ridge Quarry study area, particular attention was given to areas near
drainages and within the vicinity of Dry Creek, knowing that 11 bedrock mortar sites have
13
been identified within a one-mile radius. Rock outcroppings in the Newman Ridge Mine
study area were inspected for evidence of rock shelters, quarrying and rock art. The
previously recorded site locations of P-3-899 (concrete explosives storage building), P-3-900
(concrete explosives storage building), P-3-901 (site location of Coal Mine No. 3), and P-3902 (truck scales) within the Edwin Center were revisited and observations were made of
their current condition. The reported location of NA-21, the Pumphouse Milling Station
(Waechter et al. 2007:22), was inspected during the survey.
Field Survey Results
Archaeology
Six historic archaeological resources were observed in the Edwin Center, one cultural
resource was observed within the proposed road between the two study areas, and four
archaeological resources were observed in the Newman Ridge Quarry during the field
survey. No evidence of HR-64 (McDonald's Ditch), HR-69 ("Road to Coal Mine"), HR-75
(Reservoir), HR-81 (Pump House), HR-82 ("Road to Galt"), and NA-21 (Pumphouse Milling
Station) was observed during the survey.
Evidence of a possible assay pit was observed near the center of the Newman Ridge Quarry.
A low-grade red siliceous stone was exposed at this location and appeared to have been
disturbed by heavy equipment in the past, evidenced by bedrock exposure and tailings. It is
likely that this disturbed area is evidence of earlier quarry exploration south of Newman Hill.
Aside from three cut tree stumps located in the vicinity, no other cultural materials were
observed, and no evidence of prehistoric quarrying was indicated at the exposure.
Edwin Center
P-3-765 (CA-AMA-540H), consisting of a segment of the Southern Pacific Railroad's Ione
Branch, is located within the northern portion of the Edwin Center. The segment within the
study area runs northwest to southeast and measures approximately 2,852 ft. in length. The
previously unrecorded Edwin Siding (spur) diverts from the main line, on the east side of the
tracks, for a distance of 1,414.50 ft. A wood and iron loading ramp is located on the east side
of the spur. An earthen ramp is built up at the base of the loading ramp.
P-3-901 (CA-AMA-614H) consists of collapsed mine shafts and water-filled pits that were
likely associated with the Ione Coal and Iron Works Coal Mine No. 3. Features including
collapsed shafts, water-filled depressions, trash scatter, earthen reservoir, and a dirt road,
described by Windmiller (1998), were relocated during the current study, as the site is
located within a portion of the Edwin Center. No changes were noted to any of the features
within the previously recorded boundaries of P-3-901. However, at least four additional
collapsed shaft pits and four trash scatters, likely associated with P-3-901, were identified
within the current survey area (outside the previously recorded site boundaries), which
resulted in the expansion of the site boundaries of P-3-901 to the north and northeast. A large
mound of clay tailings intermixed with historic debris, is possibly the portal location of Coal
14
Mine No. 3 in the northern corner of the Edwin Center. This area is located between Hwy
104 and the Union Pacific Railroad. Artifacts include highly fragmented embossed brown
bottle glass, aqua glass, brownware ceramics, non-diagnostic metal fragments, and metal
strapping.
P-3-902 (CA-AMA-615H), the location of the remains of a truck scale utilized during the
post-World War II mining of laterite, was relocated during the current field inspection. Since
its original recording in 1998, a wood and iron bridge has been built over the top of the scale
to allow for the passing of heavy equipment in the area. Aside from the construction of the
bridge, no additional changes were noted at P-3-902.
NR-1 Trash Scatter. NR-1 consists of a small scatter of historic debris located north of
Dutschke Hill, within the western portion of the Edwin Center. Artifacts, likely dating to the
mid-twentieth century, include three screw-top condiment bottles (mustard, mayonnaise, and
ketchup), one rusted coffee can, one clear glass milk bottle neck and lip, one rusted bucket
(with handle), and one brown glass embossed Purex bottle. The scatter of artifacts measured
approximately 25 ft. east-west, 18 ft. north-south, and was located on the north side of a
unnamed seasonal drainage.
Newman Ridge Quarry
NR-2 Red Rock Rail Grade. NR-2 consists of a lightly-used quarry area, road cut, and
historic metal debris scatter, located upslope near the eastern boundary of the road that will
connect the Edwin Center with the Newman Ridge Quarry. A shallow graded road diverts
from the main dirt road and continues upslope to the southeast to the site area, which is at the
base of several rock exposures. Two semi-square pits have been dug out of the hillside. A site
datum was established at the highest elevation in the southeast portion of the site, marked by
a craggy Oak tree set back from the more southern of the two dug out areas. A segment of
railroad switch track, measuring approximately 15.5 ft. long, was located in the center of the
road cut near the southern end of the site. Two additional rusted metal equipment parts were
also observed in the site area including the frame of a possible rail cart and a metal frame
with hooks. An additional graded road is located down slope from the site.
NR-3 Water Diversion Canal. NR-3 is a shallow water diversion canal located near the
base of the northwest slope of Newman Ridge. The canal is oriented north-south and
measures approximately 1,240 ft. long, 5-7 ft. wide, and is 4-6 ft. deep. Portions of the canal
had standing water at the time of the survey, due to recent rains. This structure prevents
erosion and diverts water runoff away from the agricultural pasture and dirt road located to
the west. Map research indicates that the canal was constructed prior to 1962.
NR-4 Quartz Biface. NR-4 is an isolated non-diagnostic quartz biface that was found on a
gentle slope with eastern exposure, approximately 35 meters north of an unnamed seasonal
drainage, and 35 meters west of the jeep road that runs north-south along Newman Ridge.
The bifacially worked artifact measures 4.5 cm in length, 1.5 cm in width, and is 1 cm thick.
15
NR-5 Rock Alignments. Site NR-5 represents ten rock alignments (A-J) located in the
southeast portion of the Newman Ridge Mine study area (Table 4). The approximate center
of each alignment was recorded with GPS.
Table 4. NR-5 Rock Alignments Locations and Attributes
Rock Alignment
Length
Width
Height
A
21 ft.
2.5 ft.
~2.5 ft.
B
13.5 ft.
2.5 ft.-3 ft.
~3 ft.
C
~54 ft.
3 ft.-5.5 ft.
1.5 ft.-3 ft.
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
79 ft.
14.5 ft.
20 ft.
8 ft.
15 ft.
34 ft.
7.5 ft.
~1 ft.-3.5 ft.
3 ft.
2 ft.-3 ft.
~3 ft.
~2 ft.-3.5 ft.
~2 ft.
2 ft.-3 ft.
9 in.-3 ft.
1.5 ft.-2 ft.
2 ft.-3 ft.
~3.5 ft.
~3 ft.
~1.5
~2 ft.
Orientation
114° E/SE
140° SE
170° S
145° S/SE
133° SE
160° S/SE
137° SE
162° S
102° E
150° SE
80° E
Courses High
2-3
3-4
2-4
1-2
2-3
2-3
3-4
2-3
1-2
2-4
These rock alignments generally run in-line with one another (north-to-south), and most are
connected by larger rock outcroppings. Stacked rocks within the alignments range from
about 1 ft. to 3.5 ft. in diameter. Some smaller rocks are placed between rock outcroppings. It
is unknown when these alignments were constructed, or what they represent.
NR-6 Bedrock Mortar.NR-6 is the location of two bedrock mortars on a rock outcrop,
approximately 30 m south of an unnamed drainage. NR-6 is located near the southern
boundary of the Newman Ridge Mine study area. The mortars are circular in shape and are
situated 50 cm apart from one another. Cup "A," located northwest of Cup "B" is 14 cm in
diameter and 4.25 cm deep. Cup "B" is 12 cm in diameter and 4.5 cm deep.
Built Environment
P-3-899 and P-3-900 are two identical concrete storage buildings located in the northwest
portion of the Edwin Center, south of the main access road. They are separated by
approximately 110 ft. These small structures were put up by Permanente Cement Company
around 1948 to store explosives for clay mining in the area (Napoli 1998a and 1998b). This
standing structures were observed in a similar condition as they were described during their
initial recording in 1998 (Napoli 1998a and b; Windmiller 1998a).
SUMMARY
Tom Origer & Associates conducted a cultural resources survey for the Newman Ridge
Project, Amador County, California, in compliance with requirements specified in both
Section 106 and CEQA (Title 14 CCR §15064.5). The study was requested and authorized by
Edwin Clays LLC.
16
Field survey resulted in the finding of five previously recorded cultural resources and six
newly identified cultural resources. Documentation pertaining to this study is on file at the
offices of Tom Origer & Associates (File No. 10-102).
17
MATERIALS CONSULTED
Ann S. Peak & Associates
1976 Cultural Resource Assessment of the Interpace Properties, Amador and Sacramento
Counties, California. Document AM-6336 on file at the North Central Information,
California State University, Sacramento.
Boyde, J.C.
1917 Map of the Rancho Arroyo Seco in Sacramento and Amador Counties, California.
Carlson, D.W. and W.B. Clark
1954 Mines and Mineral Resources of the Amador County, California. In California
Journal of Mines and Geology, pp. 149-285. Vol. 50, No.1., San Francisco, CA.
Chapman, R.H. and C.C. Bishop
1975 Geophysical Investigations in the Ione Area, Amador, Sacramento, and Calaveras
Counties, California. California Division of Mines and Geology, Special Report 117
Sacramento, California.
General Land Office
1859 Plat of Rancho Arroyo Seco (GLO#1). Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.
Hoover, M., H. Rensch, E. Rensch, W. Abeloe
1966 Historic Spots in California. 3rd edition. Stanford University Press. Stanford.
Hoover, M., H. Rensch, E. Rensch, W. Abeloe, and D. Kyle
1990 Historic Spots in California. 4th edition, Stanford University Press. Stanford.
2002
Historic Spots in California. 5th edition, Stanford University Press. Stanford.
Kroeber, A.
1925 Handbook of the Indians of California. Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin 78,
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
Larson, B. and R. Flores
2002 Record prepared for P-3-765. On file at the North Central Information Center,
California State University, Sacramento.
Leach-Palm, L., J. King, J. Hatch and B. Larson
2004 Cultural Resources Inventory of Caltrans District 10 Rural Conventional Highways.
Volume II B: Amador County. Document AM-5240 on file at the North Central
Information Center, California State University, Sacramento.
18
Levy, R.
1978 Eastern Miwok. In California, edited by R. Heizer, pp. 398-413. Handbook of North
American Indians, Vol. 8, W. Sturtevant, general editor. Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, D.C.
Moratto, M.
1984 California Archaeology. Academic Press, San Francisco.
Napoli, D.S.
1998a Record prepared for P-3-899. On file at the North Central Information Center,
California State University, Sacramento.
1998b Record prepared for P-3-900. On file at the North Central Information Center,
California State University, Sacramento.
Office of Historic Preservation (OHP)
1995 Instructions for Recording Historic Resources. Office of Historic Preservation,
Sacramento.
2009
Historic Property Directory. Office of Historic Preservation, Sacramento.
State of California Department of Parks and Recreation
1976 California Inventory of Historic Resources. Department of Parks and Recreation,
Sacramento.
Thompson & West
1881 History of Amador County, California. Pacific Press Publishing House, Oakland,
California.
Thompson, T.H. & Co.
1877 Historical Atlas of Amador County, California. T.H. Thompson & Co., Oakland,
California.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
2011 Web
Soil
Survey.
Online
document
accessed
http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/WebSoilSurvey.aspx
United States Geological Survey
1888 Jackson 15’ quadrangle. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C.
1907
Carbondale 15’ quadrangle. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C.
1957
Sutter Creek 15’ quadrangle. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C.
1962
Ione 7.5’ quadrangle. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C.
19
January
2011:
1962
Irish Hill 7.5’ quadrangle. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C.
Villa, G., Sr. and G. Villa Jr.
2011 Personal Communication. Notes on file with Tom Origer & Associates, Rohnert Park,
California.
Waechter, S.A., J. Meyer, J. King, S. King, and J. Marvin
2007 Rancho Arroyo Seco/Howard Ranch Cultural Resources Sensitivity and Constraints
Analysis. Unpublished document on file with Mintier & Associates, Sacramento.
Windmiller, R.
1998a Record prepared for P-3-901. On file at the North Central Information Center,
California State University, Sacramento.
1998b Record prepared for P-3-902. On file at the North Central Information Center,
California State University, Sacramento.
Windmiller, R., D.S. Napoli and J. Russell
1998 Phase I Cultural Resources Inventory, Reed Minerals Permit Area, Amador County,
California. Document AM-5213 on file at the North Central Information Center,
California State University, Sacramento.
20
Ric Windmiller
C O N SU LTIN G AR C H AEO LOG IST
2280 G R ASS VALLEY H IG H W AY #205
AU BU RN , C ALIFO R N IA 95603
530/878-0979
FAX 530/878-0915
January 30, 2012
Raney Planning & Management, Inc.
1501 Sports Drive
Sacramento, CA 95834
Attn: Mr. Rod Stinson, Division Manager
Re: Newman Ridge Project EIR
Dear Mr. Stinson:
The following review covers four documents that you submitted to me:
·
·
·
·
Draft cultural resources section from the EIR
Tom Origer and Associates May 6, 2011 Cultural Resources Survey (report) for the Newman
Ridge Project, Amador County, California (Authors: Eric Strother and Lauren Del Bondio).
Tom Origer and Associates October 11, 2011 Cultural Resources Survey (report) for the Newman
Ridge Project, Edwin Center North Option, Amador County, California (Author: Eileen Barrow).
Site record forms for Ione Coal and Iron Company Coal Mine No. 3 (CA-AMA-614-H)
Strother and Del Bondio Report
On July 8, 2011, I completed a review of the May 6, 2011 report, “A Cultural Resources Survey for the
Newman Ridge Project, Amador County, California” by Eric Strother and Lauren Del Bondio, Tom
Origer and Associates. In that review, I pointed out that the objective of the report was to provide
information sufficient to address the cultural resources checklist of CEQA’s Appendix G. The cultural
checklist includes any historical resources, archaeological resources, unique paleontological resources,
unique geological features and any human remains including those interred outside formal cemeteries.
Historical resources include any object, site, building, structure or district listed in or eligible for the
California Register of Historical Resources (PRC §15064.5). Archaeological resources may also be
“historical resources” or meet criteria as “unique archaeological resources” (PRC §21083.2). Unique
paleontological resources are referenced in PRC §5097.5. Human remains are covered in CEQA §15064.5
and PRC §5020-5024, 21084.1.
Page 1
The Strother and Del Bondio report did not include a database search or field inspection by a qualified
paleontologist to identify paleontological resources or to evaluate the potential for finding unique
paleontological resources once the project is underway. Although the report did identify other cultural
resources, it did not evaluate those resources for California Register of Historical Resources eligibility or
determine if they meet criteria as “unique archaeological resources” under CEQA. The report did not
assess potential impacts to cultural resources, nor did it recommend mitigation measures. The report did
not include the usual technical appendices such as the records search report from the information center, a
map showing the location of identified cultural resources and DPR 523 series forms, which constitute an
important part of the cultural resources identification process and documentation necessary for
determining significance.
A second copy of the May 6, 2011 Strother and Del Bondio report was included in the current package of
documents for peer review. This latest copy of the report appears unaltered from the original, which was
reviewed back in July, 2011. Therefore, the conclusions from the review back then still apply.
Barrow Report
The Strother and Del Bondio report covered both Newman Ridge Quarry and Edwin Center. Edwin
Center is a proposed location for material processing plants and a railroad load-out facility. The proposed
location of industrial plants and load-out construction encompassed a triangular-shaped property on the
northeast side of the Union Pacific tracks between Dutschke Road on the southeast and the intersection of
Highway 104 and the railroad on the northwest. The location also included a polygon-shaped area on the
southwest side of the tracks between the railroad and Dutschke Hill.
On October 11, 2011, Tom Origer and Associates issued a second report titled, “A Cultural Resources
Survey for the Newman Ridge Project, Edwin Center North Option, Amador County, California” by
Eileen Barrow. This second report encompassed an optional configuration for Edwin Center
encompassing the northwest portion of the previous triangular-shaped property between Highway 104
and the railroad and a polygon-shaped piece along the south side of Highway 104 northwest of the
triangle formed by the intersection of 104 and the railroad.
Although the Ione basin and surrounding lands are rich in history, the historic context write-up in the
Barrow report is a brief two pages. The Native American Heritage Commission sacred lands file search
and contact with Native Americans listed by the commission was deferred to the EIR consultant. The
records search was apparently conducted by Tom Origer and Associates at the North Central Information
Center and not by information center staff, as no copy of the records search letter report and the usual
attachments are appended to Barrow’s report. This is not unusual, but it can lead to an omission of
records if the visitor to the information center has less experience than information center staff.
Field methods described in the Barrow report indicate that four people expended two days inspecting the
subject property. However, the description does not indicate the specific field methods such as distance
between transects walked, so that the reader can assess the adequacy of the field survey. The use of
historic maps and discussion with the property manager were well-thought-out methods to help identify
the age and function of features found during the field inspection. Thus, potential problems in evaluating
the significance of those features were avoided. Omitted from the report’s “Cultural Setting” is discussion
Page 2
of the Nisenan Indian village of Homit, which is reputed to have been located on Indian Hill immediately
adjacent to the Edwin Center project area. It would have been interesting to investigate the bedrock
mortar site, CA-AMA-145, for buried cultural materials to see if any are historic and therefore potentially
associated with the occupation of nearby Homit. However, as Barrow indicated, the bedrock mortar site is
located outside the project area.
Barrow’s description of the surface remnants of identified cultural resources located within the project
area is brief, but appears adequate. The report concludes with a brief summary. There is no evaluation of
the identified cultural resources for California Register of Historical Resources eligibility or identification
of “unique archaeological resources” or unique paleontological resources under CEQA. The report does
not include an analysis of effect, nor does the report recommend any mitigation measures. The report did
include an appendix of DPR 523 series record forms documenting each identified archaeological
resource. The Barrow report is strictly a cultural resources inventory.
Neither the Barrow report nor the earlier Strother and Del Bondio report address the questions asked in
the CEQA Checklist, Appendix G such as: Will the project cause “ . . .substantial adverse change to a
historical resource?” To answer this question, both the Barrow and Strother and Del Bondio reports
would have to include an evaluation of the identified cultural resources for California Register eligibility
and “unique archaeological resources” and determine the effect of the project on those resources.
In addition, there are omissions in the historic context statements in both reports that could have made a
difference in how the field inspections were conducted and what was found by the field survey teams. For
example, there is no mention of the historic townsite of Doschville and no discussion as to whether or not
some of Doschville may have been located within the Edwin Center project area. Also omitted from the
historic context statements is the early history of the Rancho Seco land grant when the first settlers took
up residence on the land with the understanding that it was government owned, only to be evicted years
later by the land grant’s owners. Understanding these and other elements of local history may have given
the field teams cause to look for more subtle features on the landscape indicative of buried historic sites
and features relating to Doschville and early homesteads never recorded in public domain. However, for
purposes of this review, it is assumed that the field inspections were adequate and no significant cultural
resource was overlooked.
Site Record Forms for Ione Coal and Iron Company Coal Mine No. 3
The record forms for Coal Mine No. 3 document additional surface features for the site of Ione Coal and
Iron Company’s Coal Mine No. 3. The record forms include two loci. The northernmost locus represents
the mound on which the sealed portal of the mine’s inclined shaft is located. The southernmost locus is a
broad area on both sides of the railroad tracks where surface features such as subsidence pits and
collapsed ventilator shafts overlie the underground workings. Previous drill tests over the site identified
voids as little as 34 feet below the ground surface. Although there is readily accessible information on the
mine, the Archaeological Site Record form does not provide any information on “A4. Features,” “A5.
Cultural Constituents,” “A7. Site Condition,” “A11.Historical Information,” “A12. Age,” “A13
Interpretations,” “A15. References,” all of which could have been filled in with information from an
adequate records search at the information center.
Page 3
Cultural Resources Section of the Draft EIR
The cultural resources section of the draft EIR includes an introduction, existing environmental setting,
regulatory setting, impacts and mitigation measures. The primary basis for analysis presented in the
Cultural Resources Section is the Amador County General Plan, the Strother and Del Bondio report and
the Barrow report.
Six cultural resources were identified on the Edwin Center portion of the project. One cultural resource
was found within the proposed road between Edwin Center and the Newman Ridge Quarry and four
resources were identified within the boundaries of the Newman Ridge Quarry.
The Edwin Center cultural resources include the Southern Pacific Railroad Ione Branch (now, Union
Pacific), Ione Coal and Iron Company’s Coal Mine No. 3, a post-World War II truck scales, a historic
trash scatter and two concrete explosives storage buildings.
Three cultural resources were identified in the Barrow report for the Edwin Center North Alternative
project area: the Southern Pacific Railroad, Ione Branch segment, surface remnants of Ione Coal and Iron
Company’s Coal Mine No. 3 and the Newman Pond and Ditch.
The Strother and Del Bondio report identified the Red Rock Rail Grade site within the proposed road
between Edwin Center and the Newman Ridge Quarry. The draft EIR states that the site had been
previously recorded, therefore, “destruction of the resource due to implementation of the proposed project
would not be considered a significant impact” (page 4.4-7).
The four cultural resources identified by Strother and Del Bondio within the Newman Ridge Quarry
project area includes a previously recorded water diversion canal, quartz biface and rock alignments. The
above resources had all been documented on site record forms prior to the Strother and Del Bondio study.
In addition, Strother and Del Bondio identified two bedrock mortars on a rock outcrop located near the
southern boundary of the proposed quarry.
The Draft EIR does not formally evaluate any of the above cultural resources for California Register
eligibility, nor does it address the potential for assessing archaeological resources as “unique
archaeological resources” under CEQA. Previously documented cultural resources are addressed with the
statement: “It should be noted that this resource has been previously recorded. As such additional
historical information cannot be obtained from this resource; thus, destruction of the resource due to
implementation of the proposed project would not be considered a significant effect” (pages 4.4-7, 4.4-8).
If the respective cultural resources have been previously evaluated for California Register eligibility
and/or as “unique archaeological resources,” then those analyses should be documented in the EIR and
any updated information on their condition evaluated to determine if there has been a significant change
to warrant a change in the previous evaluation. The formal evaluation for California Register eligibility
must have been completed either in a prior study or in the EIR. Lacking such an evaluation, all cultural
resources identified must be considered eligible for the California Register.
Page 4
Newman Ridge Quarry
With respect to the Newman Ridge Quarry portion of the project, it is unlikely that either the water
diversion canal, isolated quartz biface or the rock alignments (probably the remnants of a rock and brush
or rock and wire fence line) are eligible for the register. Nonetheless, no argument for or against any one
or more criteria of eligibility was made in any of the documents presented for review. On the other hand,
the two bedrock mortars identified within the Newman Ridge Quarry project area were determined
potentially eligible for the California Register also without a formal evaluation. In this consultant’s
experience, isolated bedrock mortars are usually not eligible for the California Register under any
criterion of eligibility. These days, it is customary to conduct test excavations around such bedrock
milling stations to identify any buried cultural deposit. While the merits of such excavation are debatable,
this approach does add another point of argument either for or against California Register eligibility. Such
testing was apparently not undertaken.
Road between Newman Ridge Quarry and Edwin Center
The Red Rock Rail Grade site located within the proposed road between the quarry and Edwin Center
may or may not be eligible for the California Register, or qualify as a “unique archaeological resource.”
Apparently, it was recorded during a previous cultural resources study. If it had been evaluated for
California Register eligibility at that time, or even if it had been evaluated under CEQA’s old Appendix
K, then the results of that evaluation should be presented and an update on its condition should help to
determine whether or not it retains that same eligibility or ineligibility today.
Edwin Center
With respect to the Edwin Center project area, the two concrete structures documented in a previous study
are treated in the Draft EIR with this statement: “It should be noted that this resource has been previously
recorded. As such, additional historical information cannot be obtained from this resource; thus,
destruction of the resource due to implementation of the proposed project would not be considered a
significant impact” (page 4.4-10).
In fact, the two small concrete storage buildings were previously evaluated for the California Register and
the National Register of Historic Places by my colleague, architectural historian Donald S. Napoli, Ph.D.
Napoli concluded that neither building was eligible for listing on either register. However, his evaluation
did not hinge on the fact that he recorded the site on DPR 523 series forms and no additional information
could be obtained from the buildings. His analysis states, “The structure lacks historical importance
because the episode it recalls occurred within the past 50 years and had only minimal impact on Amador
County.” However, that evaluation was made in 1998. The two buildings are now over 50 years old and
should be re-evaluated for the California Register.
The other cultural resources identified for Edwin Center include the Southern Pacific Railroad Ione
Branch segment, truck scales, trash scatter and Ione Coal and Iron’s Coal Mine No. 3. The railroad is
mentioned in the Draft EIR as having been previously recorded. As such, any effect would not be
considered a significant impact. Again, if the railroad was previously evaluated for California Register
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eligibility, then the results of that evaluation should be referenced and any changes in the railroad since
that evaluation should also be evaluated. The result would be a current assessment of the railroad’s
eligibility for the California Register.
The remnants of the old truck scales were previously evaluated for California Register eligibility in the
same study in which Napoli documented and evaluated the concrete storage buildings. At the time (1998),
the truck scales were considered to be less than 50 years old, which was part of the reason why they were
not eligible for the California Register. Now, the scales site may be older than 50 years and may require
re-evaluation.
The trash scatter identified by Strother and Del Bondio in the western portion of Edwin Center is
identified on the basis of surface debris only. Apparently, there is a potential for buried trash at this site.
Further testing is required in the Draft EIR. However, prior to any archaeological test excavation, it would
be prudent to first gain as much information as practical on historical association(s) of the trash scatter.
Find out what household or mining operation with which it was associated. Then, make a decision as to
whether test excavations would be advisable. For example, excavation of trash deposits in the backyards
of historic Washington, D.C. houses provided information on differences between historic neighborhoods.
Such information not available in written histories can be important to understanding day to day life if the
trash deposit can be linked to a specific household, class of households, mine or other entity.
The segment of the Southern Pacific Ione Branch located within the Edwin Center project area was
apparently recorded in a previous study not accessed by the EIR team. The Draft EIR states that the
railroad was previously recorded. Therefore, additional historical information cannot be obtained from the
resource and so any effect caused by the proposed project would not constitute a significant impact. There
is no reference in the EIR as to whether the railroad was indeed previously evaluated for the California
Register and determined not eligible (page 4.4-8).
The Draft EIR states that the significance of Ione Coal and Iron Company’s Coal Mine No. 3 is currently
unknown and that further testing is required to determine whether recordation is necessary and whether or
not the proposed project would have a significant effect on the cultural resource (page 4.4-9).
Coal Mine No. 3 was evaluated for the California Register in 1998. At that time, we considered the mine
potentially eligible for the California Register under criterion 1: “is associated with events that have made
a significant contribution to the broad patterns of local or regional history, or the cultural heritage of
California or the United States.” However, the portion of the surface features of the mine located within
our limited project area were not considered eligible for the register under any criterion. Our study did not
include the mine portal or the area between the portal and our project area.
Coal Mine No. 3 was active between 1886 and 1900. Eileen Barrow’s report and the Draft EIR are correct
when they identified the large mound in the north corner of Edwin Center as the location of Coal Mine
No. 3's inclined shaft portal. Apparently, the portal was located on an elevated mound to facilitate loading
of lignite onto railroad cars.
Published sources available in the Bureau of Mines Library in Sacramento specify the methods of
underground mining at Coal Mine No. 3. It is unknown whether or not surface cultural deposits exist
within the Edwin Center project area that would add significantly to our limited knowledge of operations
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on the ground surface and whether or not we could discern and explain, for example, any meaningful
differences and similarities between this and other similar mines on the basis of technology, environment,
social class and social structure.
Further archival research as well as testing should be recommended for this potentially important site.
Edwin Center North Alternative
The Edwin Center North Alternative includes three identified cultural resources: a segment of the
Southern Pacific Railroad Ione Branch, some of the surface features of Ione Coal and Iron’s Coal Mine
No. 3 and the Newman Pond and Ditch (see discussion above for the first two cultural resources). The
Draft EIR states that further testing would be required to determine whether recordation is necessary. I
would suggest that further archival research and interview(s) with knowledgeable local old timers would
best help determine whether or not the resource is eligible for the California Register under any of the
four criteria of eligibility. Consideration may then be given the pond and ditch as a“unique archaeological
resource.”
Mitigation Measures
In view of the above comments, I would recommend incorporating the following changes to the
Mitigation Measures:
4.4-1(a). If the coal mine and trash scatter features cannot be avoided, then an evaluation plan should
include archival research and/or interviews with knowledgeable individuals followed by
archaeological test excavations if the results of archival research and/or interviews indicate
testing as the most feasible means of determining significance. If the cultural resource is
determined eligible for the California Register under one or more criteria of eligibility and
cannot be avoided, then a data recovery plan or other mitigation shall be determined and
executed.
4.4-1(b) Incorporate same changes as in 4.4-1(a).
In summary, it is apparent that the cultural resources consultant conducted only cultural resources
inventories of the proposed Newman Ridge Quarry, connecting road, Edwin Center and Edwin Center
North Alternative. There was no effort on the part of the cultural resources consultant to evaluate the
identified resources for California Register of Historical Resources eligibility, or in the case of previously
evaluated resources, to conduct an updated evaluation based on current condition of the resources. Also,
the cultural resources consultant did not evaluate the potential effect of the project on resources
significant under CEQA nor did the consultant propose any mitigation measures.
The EIR consultant was left with the task of determining eligibility, which was done by assuming that all
of the identified resources are significant, then assigning further tasks to evaluate significance as
“mitigation.” This approach is all too commonplace in EIRs, according to California Office of Historic
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Preservation staff. The problem is a “blind spot” in CEQA where decisions on significance can end up in
the laps of non-cultural resource EIR writers. Even though evaluation for California Register eligibility is
deferred to the Newman Ridge Project Draft EIR mitigation measures, your staff has done a much better
job than found in a lot of similar EIRs, in my opinion.
I made a few suggestions with respect to wording in the mitigation measures to show that in some cases,
it is more appropriate to begin the evaluation of a historic site by more intensive archival research and/or
contact with local old-timers or avocational historians who may be familiar with the resources. If such
research meets with success, with for example finding a historic connection between the trash scatter and
a specific household or mine, then significance may possibly be determined without archaeological test
excavations. The reverse, conducting test excavations without prior archival research or oral history, may
yield no clues as to specific historic associations and therefore may waste time and money and result in a
possible spurious evaluation. In some cases, it may be necessary to conduct extensive archival research,
interviews and test excavations to arrive at an appropriate evaluation of the site for California Register
eligibility or to determine if the site is a “unique archaeological resource.”
If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Ric Windmiller
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