Article Title

Archaeological Survey for the El Paso Natural Gas Line Nos. 2034 and 2058 Replacement and Lowering at Interstate 10, El Paso County, Texas

Authors

S. Jerome Hesse

Agency

Texas Historical Commission

Abstract

Project Title. Archaeological Survey for the El Paso Natural Gas Line Nos. 2034 and 2058 Replacement and Lowering at Interstate 10, El Paso County, Texas

SWCA Project Number. 31400

Project Description. SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted an archaeological background review and intensive pedestrian survey for the El Paso Natural Gas (EPNG), a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI), Line Nos. 2034 and 2058 replacement and lowering at Interstate 10 project to determine whether the undertaking would impact any significant archaeological resources.

Location. The project construction workspace will encompass land owned by EPNG, the City of El Paso Texas, and the Texas Department of Transportation in the northwest part of El Paso, El Paso County, Texas and EPNG easements owned in fee. The project is located on the Smeltertown, Texas/New Mexico, 7.5-minute U.S. Geological Survey quadrangle (31106-G5).

Number of Acres Surveyed. 12.3 acres

Principal Investigator. Cherie Walth

Date of Work. February 17, 2015

Purpose of Work. The Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT’s) planned expansion of Interstate 10 (I-10) at the Resler Drive interchange in El Paso, Texas, requires EPNG Line Nos. 2034 and 2058 to be relocated to a greater depth beneath I-10. Specifically, approximately 700 feet of Line No. 2034 is to be replaced between EPNG Milepost (MP) 1+0950 and MP 1+1650, and 900 feet of Line No. 2058 is to be replaced between MP 1+1800 and MP 1+2700. The pipeline replacement would be conducted via horizontal directional drill. Temporary workspace beyond EPNG’s existing pipeline rightof-way (ROW) is needed for construction staging and stringing of the pipeline prior to its installation. The project construction workspace is located on land owned by the City of El Paso.

EPNG’s proposed replacement of Line Nos. 2034 and 2058 constitutes a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) jurisdictional project that can be accomplished under blanket authority granted by FERC in Docket No. CP82-435-000, Section 157.208(a). The project qualifies as a federal undertaking subject to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, and its implementing regulations (36 Code of Federal Regulations 800). FERC is the lead federal agency for the project. Because the project is located on land owned by the City of El Paso, it also constitutes an undertaking subject to state-level review under the Antiquities Code of Texas (Texas Natural Resource Code, Title 9, Chapter 191).

The area of potential effects (APE) for the project is the construction workspace, which includes EPNG’s existing ROW and a large area of temporary workspace on the west side of I-10. The total APE is approximately 8.8 acres. Approximately 12.3 acres were surveyed, including 11.5 acres west of I-10 and 0.8 acre east of I-10. The surveyed area fully included the APE, which EPNG had marked with lath prior to the archaeological survey. The survey was conducted by SWCA Environmental Consultants under Antiquities Permit #7173.

Properties Identified. One isolated artifact (one flake) was found within the APE. The APE falls entirely within the Elephant Butte Irrigation District (EBID), although no contributing properties to the EBID are within the APE.

Eligibility of Properties. The EBID is listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). No contributing properties to the EBID are located in the APE. The isolated piece of flaked stone is not eligible for the NRHP.

Curation. No artifacts were collected, resulting in no curation.

Comments. The proposed replacement and lowering of EPNG Line Nos. 2034 and 2058 beneath I-10 involves ground-disturbing activities within the EPNG ROW and staging and pipe-stringing activities within temporary workspace adjacent to the EPNG ROW. An archaeological survey of the APE, which includes the existing EPNG ROW and the adjacent temporary workspace, resulted in the discovery of no archaeological sites or contributing properties to the EBID. The proposed undertaking should result in No Historic Properties Affected. No further archaeological work is recommended.

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