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Home My WebLink About3821; LAKE CALAVERA REMEDIAL/ MITIGATION PROJECT; ANNUAL MAINT CULTURAL RESOURCES ANALYSIS; 2011-07-01RIVERSIDE LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. BERKELEY IRVINE ROCKLIN 703 PALOMAR AIRPORT ROAD, SUITE 26O 760.931.5471 TEL FORT COLLINS PALM SPRINGS SAN LUIS OBISPO 1976 201 1 CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA 92011 760.918.2458 FAX FRESNO POINT RICHMOND SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO MEMORANDUM DATE: July 1, 2011 TO: Sherri Howard City of Carlsbad FROM: Elizabeth Davidson, M.A., RPA Senior Cultural Resources Manager/Archaeologist LSA Associates, Inc. SUBJECT: Calavara Dam Long-Term Annual Maintenance Cultural Resources Constraints Analysis (LSA Project No. HCR1 102) INTRODUCTION This constraints analysis presents the results of archaeological research completed for the Calavara Dam Long-Term Maintenance Project. The purpose of this study was to gather information about the archaeological sites that may be affected by the proposed maintenance project. To accomplish this, a records search was completed on June 20, 2011 at the South Coastal Information Center (SCIC) to identify cultural resources within a half-mile of the project site. Project Description The project site is located at the southwestern end of Lake Calavera, off Tamarack Avenue in the City of Carlsbad (Figure 1. Project Location Map). The project entails removal of vegetative material from the north (lakeside or upstream side) and south (downstream side) faces of the dam, spillway, and outlet structure in response to an order from the California Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD). The total area to be maintained includes approximately 3 acres, 2.8 acres of which has been maintained in the past and is therefore disturbed. Vegetation (including some riparian habitat) would be removed using any or all of the following methods: by hand, application of herbicide, and mechanically (using a Gradall excavator [or equivalent] from the top of the dam). All mechanical equipment and trucks used during maintenance activities would be staged in paved or developed areas on the top of the dam or on the access road where the substrate is either bare ground or paved. No ground disturbance (i.e., grading) is proposed as part of the project. Initial maintenance would include removal of some trees and shrubs as well as low-growing vegetation. The City of Carlsbad will conduct maintenance outside of nesting bird season (i.e., outside of February 15 through September 15). Installation of temporary exclusionary fencing would ensure that the limits of construction are clearly defined prior to brush-clearing activities and clearly visible to personnel on foot and equipment operators. Construction personnel shall strictly limit their activities and vehicles to the proposed project construction areas, approved staging areas, and routes of travel. The lake level would be lowered by approximately 3 feet in order for submerged vegetation to be removed. No permits or permissions are required from the DSOD for the Carlsbad Municipal Water District (CMWD) to perform maintenance (including lowering and raising lake levels as (7/1/2011) P:\HCR 1 102-Calavera Dam Long Term Maintenance\Cultural\Report\Arch Memo.doc PLANNING I ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES I DESIGN L.SA ASSOCIATES, INC. required for maintenance activities). Maintenance activities will occur in perpetuity, for a period of approximately 5 days per annual maintenance event. This report has been prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This report has been prepared for use by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), and the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. (USFWS) as part of their reviews of applications for permit authorization, if necessary. The findings and conclusions presented in this report represent the professional opinion of LSA. Cultural Setting San Diego County archaeological investigations indicate humans have inhabited the area for at least 10,000 years. Malcolm Rogers was the first to develop a cultural chronology of the region. In general, they can be divided into five consecutive periods: Paleoindian, Archaic, Late Prehistoric, Ethnohistoric, and Historic (Bull 1983; Ezell 1987; Moriarty 1966; Warren et al. 1993). The earliest sites in San Diego County are identified as the Paleoindian period (9,000 to 8,000 YBP [years before present]), and include the San Dieguito, La Jolla and Pauma complex. Most of these sites are located around inland dry lakes, on old terrace deposits in the California desert, and on or near the coast on mesas or terraces. The artifacts associated with this period are heavily patinated felsite tools primarily consisting of scrapers, scraper planes, choppers, large blades, and large projectile points. Around 8,000 years ago, changes in technology begin to appear in the archaeological record. During the Early Archaic period, there is an increase in the use of grinding and seed processing technology and a change in mortuary practices, indicating population movements or internal change (Moratto 1984). There is a marked increase in the exploitation of plant and animal resources inland and on the coast. Artifacts associated with this period include an increase of Pinto and Elko series projectile points, large bifaces, manos, metates, and core tools. The Late Prehistoric period is characterized by a series of dramatic technological changes indicating that around 2,000 YBP, people from the Colorado River area migrated to the Southern California region. This period is characterized by the appearance of smaller projectile points, ceramics, permanent bedrock milling sites, and cremation burials. There also appears to be an increase in the establishment of permanent or semi-permanent seasonal villages indicating a shift to inland plant food collection and processing. The Ethnohistoric period occurred shortly before Europeans colonized Southern California. Documentation by the Spanish and the material culture left by the native people indicate that, at the time of contact, there were four distinct native groups in the area: Luiseño, Diegueno, Cupeflo, and the Cahuifla (Kroeber 1925). During this period, the Native American populations dramatically decreased and were quickly assimilated into the mission system. The project area is located within the Kumeyaay territory. The Historic period in San Diego County is generally divided into three politically defined periods: Spanish, Mexican, and American periods. The Spanish colonists first settled the Southern California region in A.D. 1769 and established military and religious institutions along the coast. In 1821, (7/1/2011) P:\HCRI 102-Calavera Dam Long Term Maintenance\Cultural\ReporAArch Memo.doc 2 LSA ASSOCIATES INC. Mexico won its independence from Spain and California came under Mexican rule. By 1834, the Spanish missions had been secularized and large tracts of land, or ranchos were granted to Mexican citizens. Mexican rule ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hildalgo in 1848 when Alta California was ceded to the United States. The Carlsbad area became the focus of development in San Diego in the late 1800s when a railroad connection to the San Diego Area resulted in a population boom in Southern California. The City of Carlsbad first began as a train stop and tourist attraction when a mineral spring was discovered in 1883 by John Frazier. From the 1920s and into the present, Carlsbad has continued to boom with tourism, agriculture and floriculture. METHODS Archival research was completed at the SCIC and included a site records search, literature review, and an examination of historic maps within a half-mile of the project site. - RESULTS Research Eighteen documented archaeological investigations have taken place within a half-mile radius of the project site. Most of the investigations date between 1980 and 2005 and indicate there was a moderate amount of both historic and prehistoric activity within the project area. Table A summarizes the investigations within a half-mile radius of the project. Table A: Summary of Previous Studies Author Report Title Date Bull An Archaeological Reconnaissance of the Lake Calavara Hills Plan Area 1977 Collett and Significance Assessment of Three Cultural Resource Sites Within the College 2001 Cheever Boulevard Reach B Alternative 1 and Reach C Alignments Collett and Significance Assessment of Six Cultural Resource Sites Within the College 2001 Cheever Boulevard Reach Alternative I, Carlsbad, California Comm Negative Archaeological Survey Report I l-SD-76, P.M.RO/R2.9 11222-159021 1993 ERCE Testing and Data Recovery for Late Period Occupation Sites CA-SDI-635 and 1991 CA-SDI-636 Calavara Heights, Carlsbad, California ERCE Cultural Resource Testing Programs for SDI4922, 1923, 1925, 4927, 11941, 1991 11943, 12125, Calavera Lake, Carlsbad, California Gallegos Cultural Resource Testing Program for SDI-635 Calavara Heights Village, 1991 Carlsbad, California Gallegos and Cultural Resource Survey and Assessment for the South Coast Asphalt Products 1984 Carrico Company, Carlsbad, California Gallegos and Cultural, Resource Testing Program for SDI-4922, 4923, 4925, 11941, 11942, 1991 Huey 11943, and 12125, Calavara Lake, Carlsbad California (7/1/2011) P:\HCRI 102-Calavera Dam Long Term Maintenance\Cultural\Report\Arch Memo.doc LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. Table A: Summary of Previous Studies Author Report Title Date Gallegos and Testing and Data Recovery for Late Period Occupation Sites CA-SDI-636, 1991 Huey Calavara Heights, Carlsbad, California Gallegos and Cultural Resource Survey of the Mar Vista OV1 Trunk Sewer, Vista, California 1987 Pigniolo Gallegos Pigniolo, Cultural Resource Testing Program for SDIO-635 and SD1636 Calavara Heights 1990 Mitchell Village, Carlsbad, California Ghabahlain Historic Resources Inventory and Evaluation Report for the Lake Calavara 2005 Remedial Improvements Project, Carlsbad Guerrro and City of Carlsbad Water and Sewer Master Plans Cultural Resource Background 2003 Gallegos Study, City of Carlsbad, California Hanna Addendum to the Cultural Resource Survey Report for Carlsbad Highlands, City 1981 of Carlsbad, San Diego County, California Hector An Archaeological and Historical Survey of Robertson Ranch, Carlsbad, CA 1985 Kyle Cultural Resource Constraints Analysis for the Lake Calavara Trails Project, City 2005 of Carlsbad, California Seeman Draft Environmental Impact Report Revised Parks and Recreation Element, 1982 Carlsbad, California Smith and Results of a Cultural Resources Mitigation and Monitoring Program for Robertson 2008 Rosenberg Ranch: Archaic and Late Prehistoric Camps Near the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Wade Archaeological Evaluations at Calavara Hills SDI-5416, Archaeological Testing at 1992 SDI-12470 and SDI-12471 Carlsbad, California A total of nine sites (Table B) are recorded within a half-mile radius of the project site. Of these, six are prehistoric sites and three are historic. Two of the prehistoric sites, CA-SDI-5433 and CA-SDI- 5437, are isolated artifacts although recorded by Bull, Hatley and the SCIC as sites. The prehistoric sites consist mainly of lithic, shell, and groundstone scatters located around the Calavara Lake Reservoir. The closest prehistoric site, CA-SDI-636, is located approximately one-quarter of a mile northwest of the project boundary. This site consists of a dense shell scatter, with lithics, pottery, and groundstone. One historic site, P-37-030251 the Lake Calavara Dam, is located within the project site. Table B: Cultural Resources within a One-Mile Radius of the Project APE Site Number Site Type Recorder CA-SDI-636 Shell, Lithic and Groundstone Scatter Hatley and Polan (1977) CA-SDI-5433 Isolated Pot Sherd Bull and Hatley (1977) CA-SDI-5437 Isolated flake Bull and Hatley (1977) CA-SDI-5438 Rock Feature (Cairn) Bull and Hatley (1977) CA-SDI-5793H Historic Trail to Mission San Luis Rey Hatley (1978) CA-SDI-9917 Shell Scatter Thesken (1984) CA-SDI-12145 Lithic Scatter Huey and Baker (199 1) P-37-030251 Lake Calavara Dam Ghabhláin (2005) (7/1/2011) P:\HCR I I 02-Calavera Dam Long Term Maintenance\Cultural\Report\Arch Memo.doc 4 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. P-37-030251/Lake Calavara Dam Lake Calavara Dam was first recorded as a historic resource in 2005 by ASM and Affiliates. The dam was constructed between 1940 and 1942 to create Lake Calavara Reservoir, part of the Carlsbad municipal water system. The dam is 65 feet high and 490 feet long and is constructed of compacted earth fill with rock blanket faces on both sides of the dam. The bottom of the reservoir is composed of decomposing granite. A concrete tower controls the outflow of the water from the reservoir but is in disrepair and no longer functions. The dam is not lined or covered. The spillway for the dam is located on the western end and extends approximately 150 feet northward. The dam's main period of use was between 1942 and the early 1960s. It was built to provide additional storage for water pumped from the San Luis Rey River in response to a population increase during 'World War II. In the early 1960s the treatment plant was dismantled and abandoned leaving the reservoir to provide only seasonal storage of water. The water level is now controlled by gravity flow through an open port located on the upper part of the dam. ASM and Affiliates evaluated the dam for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and did not consider it a significant historic resource because it does not meet the NRI-IP eligibility requirements. Based on ASM's evaluation, "to be eligible for listing on the National Register, a historic resource such as a dam or flume must have demonstrable importance directly related to important historic events or trends with emphasis on the effects the structure had on social, economic, commercial, and industrial developments locally, regionally or nationally" (Ghabláin 2005). Based on the evaluation, the construction of Lake Calavara Dam did not significantly alter the existing water storage and distribution system, is not the earliest or largest reservoir in the area, and was not a major component in the development of the water distribution system in San Diego County. Based on this assessment, Lake Calavara Dam and its associated structures are not eligible for listing on the National or California Registers. RECOMMENDATIONS The project entails removal of vegetative material from the north (lakeside or upstream side) and south (downstream side) faces of the dam, spillway, and outlet structure in response to an order from the DSOD. The project consists of maintenance that would include removal of some trees and shrubs as well as low-growing vegetation, but otherwise no ground disturbance (i.e., grading) is proposed as part of the project. All the mechanical equipment and trucks used during maintenance activities would be staged in paved or developed areas on the 'top of the dam or on the access road where the substrate is either bare ground or paved. All of the activities will be taking place within the existing dam structure and no grading is proposed; therefore, no monitoring or further work related to cultural resources is recommended. However, if grading or other major ground-disturbing activities were to take place, LSA recommends that an updated survey should be completed prior to these activities and ASM's NRI-IP recommendations be reviewed by USACE. (7/1/2011) P:\HCRI 102-Calavera Dam Long Term Maintenance\Culwral\Report'Arch Memo.doc ISA ASSOCIATES, INC. REFERENCES Bull, Charles 1983 Shaking the Foundations: The Evidence for San Diego Prehistory. Casual Papers, Cultural Resource Management Center, Department of Anthropology, San Diego State University. Bull, Charles and M.J. Hatley 1977 Site Form for CA-SDI-5433-5440. Site Form on file at South Coastal Information Center, San Diego State University, San Diego, California. Ezell, Paul 1987 The Harris Site—An Atypical San Dieguito Site or am I beating a Dead Horse? In San Dieguito—La Jolla: Chronology and Controversy, edited by Dennis Gallegos, pp. 15-22. San Diego Archaeological Society Research Paper No. 1. San Diego. Ghabláin, Sinéad Ni 2005 Site Form for P-37-03025 1. Site Form on file at South Coastal Information Center, San Diego State University, San Diego, California. .Kroeber, A.L. 1925 The Handbook of Indians of California. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 78. Smithsonian Institute, Washington. Reprinted in 1976 by Drover Publications, New York. Moriarty, James R., III 1966 Culture Phase Divisions Suggested by Typological Change Coordinated with Stratigraphically Controlled Radiocarbon Dating at San Diego. Canadian Journal of Anthropology. Warren, Claude N., Gretchen Siegler, and Frank Dittmer 1993 Paleoindian and Early Archaic Periods. An Historic Properties Background Study for the City of San Diego Clean Water Program. (7/1/2011) P:\HCR 1102-Calavera Dam Long Term Maintenance\Cultural\Report\Arch Memo.doc