"Cultural Resources Survey of the Cotulla Water Supply and Wastewater S" by David L. Sherman

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Article Title

Cultural Resources Survey of the Cotulla Water Supply and Wastewater System Improvement Project La Salle County, Texas

Authors

Agency

Texas Historical Commission

Abstract

During June 25, 26 and August 29, of 2018 Blanton & Associates, Inc. conducted a cultural resources survey of proposed wastewater and drinking water pipelines and associated facilities within the City of Cotulla, La Salle County, Texas. The area of potential effects (APE) for archeological resources for this project is approximately 23.9 acres and extends to a maximum depth of 25 feet below ground surface.

The APE for non-archaeological historic resources is variable and consists of: the footprint of the proposed pipelines/pipeline easements; the existing boundary of the Cotulla Wastewater Treatment plant; the existing boundary of the La Salle Pump Station; and the proposed boundary of the new elevated storage tank. Due to the height of the new elevated storage tank (approximately 135 feet), an indirect visual APE was also established as a 0.25-mile buffer around the proposed boundary of the new elevated storage tank. Since a desktop review of potential non-archaeological historic resources determined that there would be no direct and no adverse indirect effects to historic-age resources within the APE, a non-archaeological historic resources survey was not conducted for this project.

Survey of the APE was conducted prior to planned improvements in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and its implementing regulations (36 CFR 800), as well as the Antiquities Code of Texas (Texas Natural Resources Code, Title 9, Chapter 191) and associated state regulations (Texas Administrative Code, Title 13, Chapter 26). The 100 percent pedestrian survey of the archeological APE, augmented by 30 shovel tests, demonstrated that the majority of the APE had been negatively impacted by previous roadway construction and development. The archeological APE bisects previously recorded archeological site 41LS282, which was revisited during the present investigation. This work showed the portion of 41LS282 within the archeological APE has been negatively impacted by construction of the Cotulla Bypass roadway. The revisited portion of 41LS282 appears to lack preserved significant data resources that could contribute to the site’s overall potential National Register of Historic Places eligibility status. One isolated find, a single Desmuke dart point, was observed on the ground surface approximately two meters north of (outside of) the archeological APE, and roughly 225 meters northeast of 41LS282. No new archeological sites or non-archeological historic resources were recorded as a result of this investigation. It is the opinion of the Principal Investigator that the proposed undertaking will have no impact to any historic properties or potential historic properties.