Cultural Resources Survey of the Fort Griffin Special Utility District Waterline Improvements Project, City of Breckenridge, Stephens County, Texas

Abstract

This report documents the substantive findings and management recommendations of a cultural resources survey conducted by Integrated Environmental Solutions, LLC (IES) for the proposed Fort Griffin Special Utility District (SUD) Waterline Improvements Project located in the City of Breckenridge, Stephens County, Texas. The proposed project will include the installation of a water supply line within a 39.45-acre (ac) Area of Potential Affects (APE). As the Fort Griffin SUD is a political subdivision of the State of Texas, the project is subject to the provisions of the Antiquities Code of Texas (ACT). Additionally, as the project will be partially funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) through the Clean Water State Revolving Funds (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRF), the proposed project will be required to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). The goal of this survey was to locate cultural resources that could be adversely affected by the proposed project, and to provide an evaluation of the eligibility potential of each identified resource for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or for designation as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL). This cultural resources survey was conducted by Project Archeologist Anne Gibson and Archaeological Technician Trey Lyon on 28 through 30 April 2020. All work conformed to 13 Texas Administrative Code 26 (13 TAC 26), which outlines the regulations for implementing the ACT, and was conducted under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 9373. During the survey, one newly recorded historic-age archeological site (41SE347) was encountered within the APE. Based on the lack of association with historically important individuals or events, absence of significant architectural features, the degree of prior disturbance, and lack of contextual integrity, site 41SE347 is recommended not eligible for listing in the NRHP or designation as a SAL. All project-related records and field data will be temporarily stored at the IES McKinney office and permanently curated at the Center for Archeological Research (CAR) at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). No further work is warranted. However, if any cultural resources are encountered during construction, the operators should stop construction activities and immediately contact the project environmental representative to initiate coordination with the Texas Historical Commission (THC) prior to resuming any construction activities.