"Cultural Resources Survey of the Proposed CPS Energy Shepherd Transmis" by Sophia Salgado and Zachary M. Overfield

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Article Title

Cultural Resources Survey of the Proposed CPS Energy Shepherd Transmission Line Project, Bexar County, Texas

Authors

Sophia Salgado
Zachary M. Overfield

Agency

Texas Historical Commission

Abstract

SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted a cultural resources investigation on behalf of CPS Energy for the proposed 5.6-mile-long (9-kilometer [km]-long) Shepherd Transmission Line Project in Bexar County, Texas (Project). The Project will involve installing new overhead electric transmission monopoles within west San Antonio. The Project is currently not subject to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) but is subject to the Antiquities Code of Texas (ACT) and Historic Preservation and Design Sections of San Antonio’s Unified Development Code, both closely aligned to NHPA standards. The purpose of the investigation was to identify any substantial cultural resources sites located within the Project area, establish vertical and horizontal site boundaries as appropriate with regard to the Project area, and evaluate the significance of any sites recorded within the property. All work was done in accordance with the Archeological Survey Standards for Texas as set forth by the Council of Texas Archeologists (CTA) and adopted by the Texas Historical Commission (THC). The direct area of potential effects (APE) totals 69.3 acres (28.0 hectare), derived from the approximately 5.6-mile-long (9.0-km-long) proposed Project alignment and its 75- to 100-foot-wide (22.9- to 30.5-meter-wide) corridor. The indirect APE examined was the direct line of sight from planned Project monopoles and wires with the potential to impact the visual viewshed of historic buildings. Prehistoric archaeological site 41BX2270 was newly identified during the investigation. Site 41BX2270 is a diffuse lithic artifact scatter isolated to the ground surface. The artifact assemblage is representative of a lithic procurement site ubiquitous across the region. Due to the paucity of cultural materials, lack of temporally diagnostic artifacts or features, and absence of buried prehistoric materials, SWCA assesses the portion of site 41BX2270 within the Project area as not eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or for designation as a State Antiquities Landmark and no further work is recommended. SWCA has made a reasonable and good faith effort to identify significant cultural resources within the APE. All investigations were conducted in accordance with the regulations and guidelines of the ACT, THC/CTA, and Section 106 of the NHPA.