Intensive Cultural Resources Survey For Portions Of The Proposed 17-Mile El Paso Natural Gas Mainline Expansion Project On Public Lands In El Paso And Hudspeth Counties, Texas

On behalf of El Paso Natural Gas Company, LLC (EPNG), SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted an intensive cultural resources survey on a portion of the proposed 17.0-mile-long (27.4- kilometer [km]) EPNG Mainline Expansion Project (Project) that crosses public lands administered by the Texas General Land Office (GLO) and the Clint Independent School District (CISD) in El Paso and Hudspeth Counties, Texas. Investigations were conducted in support of EPNG’s filing of a standard 7c application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The 17-mile proposed project is one component of a larger project that includes construction in the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Project activities would occur at three distinct locations along the EPNG’s existing South Mainline system including construction and operation of a new 17-mile-long loop line and construction and operation of two new compressor stations. In Texas, the proposed project consists of the construction of an approximate 17-mile, 30-inch outside diameter loop line extension in El Paso and Hudspeth Counties, Texas. This report addresses only the portions of the 17-mile loop extension on Texas public lands. The public lands component of the project includes 1.85 miles of 300-foot-wide corridor (67.3 acres) on three GLO properties (i.e., parcels 0003.000.00.00-HU-TX, 0004.000.00.00-HU-TX, and 0125.000.00.00-EP-TX) and 0.15 mile of 300-foot-wide corridor (5.5 acres) on one CISD property (parcel 0064.000.00.00-EP-TX). Cultural resources investigations were conducted on the public lands to comply with the Antiquities Code of Texas, as the agencies administering those lands are political subdivisions of the State of Texas. Additionally, as the project is subject to FERC review and the project may cross waters of the U.S. under jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, work was performed in support of EPNG’s compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) and its implementing regulations (36 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 800). Impacts associated with the construction of the pipeline will occur within a variable width construction right-of-way (ROW) measuring 60 feet wide in residential areas and 180 feet wide in dunal areas, but averaging 90 feet wide. For the 2.0 miles of cultural resources survey on public lands, SWCA investigated a 300-foot-wide corridor to give EPNG options for the ultimate centerline placement. The anticipated typical depth of construction impacts is approximately 6 feet below ground surface, although, in dunal areas, the depth of impacts will be approximately 9 feet; however, subsurface impacts are anticipated to extend up to 12 feet below ground surface via subsurface bores to avoid impacts to areas with existing infrastructure and drainages. The project area of potential effects (APE) on public lands consists of approximately 10,500 feet (2.0 miles) of 300-foot-wide survey corridor encompassing 72.7 acres, which includes 7.3 acres of permanent 30-foot-wide ROW and 12.1 acres of construction corridor. Included within the 300-foot-wide survey corridor are proposed access roads for the project that consist of existing 15- to 25-foot-wide gravel access roads for several previously constructed pipelines that parallel the current APE. Investigations included a cultural resources background review and literature search of the APE and an intensive pedestrian survey of the APE augmented with shovel testing. SWCA’s background review indicated that 11 previous cultural resources surveys have been conducted within a 1-mile radius of the APE. Seven of the 11 previously surveyed project areas intersect the APE or are adjacent to (within 300 feet of) the APE; the remainder of the previous survey areas are within the 1-mile buffer, but due to their distance to the APE, will not be traversed by the planned construction. None of the seven previous cultural surveys intersect or are adjacent to the four public land parcels discussed in this report. The review also indicates that 40 previously recorded archaeological sites are within a 1-mile buffer of the APE; however, only four sites (i.e., 41EP868, 41EP4768, 41EP5490, and 41HZ234) appear to be intersected by, or within 300 feet of, the APE. None of these four sites are located within any of the public lands. The closest previous site to a public land parcel is 41HZ234, which is located just within the northern boundary of the 300-foot-wide survey corridor but is several hundred feet outside the northern boundary of parcel 0004.000.00.00-HU-TX on private property. Because of the current survey effort, SWCA recorded one new archaeological site (41HZ803). Owing to the paucity or commonality of recovered assemblages, lack of features, lack of unique character, and/or lack of contextual integrity, this resource possesses negligible research value and is unlikely to contribute new or important information regarding local and/or regional prehistory. Consequently, no further work is recommended for 41HZ803

Intensive Archaeological Survey for the Whistler Pipeline Project on University of Texas Lands in Upton, Reagan, and Crockett Counties, Texas

On behalf of Whistler Pipeline, LLC. (Whistler), SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted an intensive cultural resources survey on a portion of the proposed 515.2-mile-long Whistler Pipeline, which traverses 17 counties in Texas. Whistler proposes to construct, install, and maintain a buried natural gas pipeline extending from the Waha Gas Hub in Pecos County to a delivery point near Agua Dulce in Nueces County, Texas. In addition to this mainline, a 45.7-mile-long lateral pipeline (Midland Lateral) will extend south from Midland County and connect to the mainline in Upton County. This report presents the results of the survey of University of Texas (UT) Lands in Upton, Reagan, and Crockett counties; this covers approximately 28.65 miles of the mainline, 10.9 miles on the Midland Lateral, and 0.18 mile for an undeveloped access road. SWCA surveyed approximately 1,082 acres, including 809.0 acres of mainline, 259.0 acres of lateral pipeline, and 2.2 acres of access road, typically within a 200-foot-wide corridor, as well as the 7.4-acre Rankin Compressor Station in Upton County. Access roads, which were built in 2018 for a previously constructed pipeline (Gulf Coast Express Pipeline), were not surveyed at the request of UT Lands, with the exception of one new, undeveloped access road on the Midland Lateral, totaling 0.18 mile. These previously constructed roads are all established gravel roads which run parallel to the current pipeline and the area has been previously surveyed. No alterations to existing access roads are anticipated. The report details the findings of investigations conducted between September and October 2019, and on January 10, 2020, on the alignment version dated January 15, 2020. All work was conducted in support of Whistler’s potential application requirements for a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Section 404 Permit in accordance with 33 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 325, Appendix C (Processing Department of Army Permits: Procedures for the Protection of Historic Properties; Final Rule 1990; with current Interim Guidance Documents dated April 25, 2005, and January 31, 2007), and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (54 United States Code 306108) and its implementing regulations (36 CFR 800). Portions of the project are located on lands owned/managed by UT, a political subdivision of the State of Texas; therefore, work was conducted in compliance with the Antiquities Code of Texas (Texas Natural Resource Code, Title 9, Chapter 191) and accompanying Rules of Practice and Procedure (Texas Administrative Code, Title 13, Chapter 26) under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 9052. The portions of the project on UT Lands are within the Albuquerque and Fort Worth USACE Districts. Investigations included a cultural resources background review and literature search and an intensive pedestrian survey augmented with shovel testing. SWCA’s background review indicated 19 surveys have been previously conducted within 1 mile of the project alignment, of which 15 are intersected by or collocated with the project alignment. The review also indicates that 77 previously recorded archaeological sites are within 1 mile of the alignment; 14 of which are intersected by or are within 300 feet of the proposed alignment. Of these 14 sites, six have been recommended or determined not eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or for designation as State Antiquities Landmarks (SALs), and eight sites have undetermined eligibility for the NRHP or as an SAL. Of the eight sites with undetermined eligibility, seven sites (i.e., 41CX1051, 41RG117, 41RG158, 41RG239, 41RG282, 41RG323, and 41UT147) intersect the current proposed alignment. During the course of the survey, SWCA revisited 10 previously recorded sites (i.e., 41CX1051, 41RG117, 41RG158, 41RG239, 41RG282, 41RG323, 41UT135, 41UT136, 41UT138, and 41UT147). Site 41UT147 has undetermined NRHP and SAL eligibility. As the site features within site 41UT147 will not be impacted by the proposed project, no further work is recommended; however, due to the proximity of the site to the project workspace, the placement of high visibility avoidance fencing around the northern edge of site boundary is recommended prior to construction activities. In addition, SWCA newly recorded four archaeological sites (i.e., 41RG402, 41RG403, 41RG404, and 41UT158) and identified 11 isolated finds. Aside from previously mentioned site 41UT147, all the sites and isolated finds are recommended not eligible for the NRHP or as an SAL within the Project corridor. Seven sites (i.e., 41CX1051, 41RG117, 41RG158, 41RG239, 41RG282, 41UT138, and 41UT147) extend outside of the project area and if the alignment were to shift, additional survey and/or archival research would be needed to assess the portions of the site not surveyed during the current alignment. In accordance with the Antiquities Code of Texas, 33 CFR 325, Appendix C, and Section 106 of the NHPA, SWCA has made a reasonable and good faith effort to identify cultural resources within the investigated project area. Of the 14 revisited and newly recorded sites within the project, one site (i.e., 41UT147) has undetermined NRHP and SAL eligibility and will be avoided by the project via high visibility fencing; Whistler has committed to this avoidance plan. The remaining 13 sites are recommended not eligible for the NRHP or as SALs within the Project corridor. Based on the results of these investigations, SWCA recommends a finding of NO HISTORIC PROPERTIES AFFECTED (per 36 CFR 800.4[d][1]) within UT Lands along the Whistler Project. Per requirements of the Antiquities Code of Texas, project documentation will be curated with the Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio

Data Recovery Excavations at the Snakeskin Bluff Site (41GU177), Guadalupe County, Texas

On behalf of Central Texas Regional Water Supply Corporation (CTRWSC) and VRRSP Consultants, LLC, SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted archaeological data recovery excavations at multicomponent site 41GU177 (the Snakeskin Bluff Site) within the proposed alignment of the Vista Ridge Regional Water Supply Project (Vista Ridge) in Guadalupe County, Texas. Investigations were conducted in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (54 United States Code [USC] 306108) and its implementing regulations (36 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 800), in anticipation of a Nationwide Permit 12 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in accordance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. In addition, the work is subject to compliance with the Antiquities Code of Texas (ACT), as the Vista Ridge Project will be ultimately owned by CTRWSC, a political subdivision of the State of Texas. The Vista Ridge project will involve construction of an approximately 140-mile-long, 60-inch-diameter water pipeline from north-central San Antonio, Bexar County, to Deanville, Burleson County, Texas. The of area of potential effects (APE) for the Phase I survey efforts included the proposed centerline alignment and a 100-foot-wide corridor (50 feet on either side of centerline), as well as temporary and permanent construction easements, and aboveground facilities, such as pump stations and the northern and southern termini sites. Between June 2015 and March 2018 the cultural resources inventory identified 78 cultural resources (i.e., 64 archaeological sites and 14 isolated finds). Included in that inventory was site 41GU177, originally discovered on August 31, 2015 on the west bank of the Guadalupe River. Site 41GU177 is a stratified prehistoric site on the western high bank of the Guadalupe River southeast of New Braunfels, Texas near the community of McQueeney. The site contains components deposited intermittently from approximately the Late Archaic to Transitional Archaic periods through Late Prehistoric times. The primary components investigated in the excavations span the final Late Archaic period and into the Austin phase of the Late Prehistoric, a timeframe from approximately 2,600 to 900 years ago. The field investigations, conducted between October 2016 and December 2017, included intensive shovel testing, geomorphological study with mechanical excavations, and subsequent hand excavations. This report presents the results of the data recovery investigations conducted from November–December 2017. The survey results and testing results have been previously reported on (Acuña et al. 2016; Rodriguez et al. 2017); the testing results are also presented in Appendix A. SWCA’s work at 41GU177 was conducted under the ACT. The state regulations mandate the evaluation of the site’s eligibility for designation as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL) or for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The survey and testing investigations were conducted under ACT Permit No. 7295, and the subsequent data recovery was completed under Permit No. 8231. Brandon S.Young served as initial Principal Investigator (PI) on both permits and Christina Nielsen took over asPI on the permits for the final reporting stages of the project. Overall, 34.1 m3 of sediment was excavated from the site during the data recovery through both traditional and feature-focused unit excavations. During these excavations, approximately 22 m2 of Late Prehistoric components were exposed, consisting of rock-lined hearths and 6,496 artifacts. The Late Prehistoric artifacts included Edwards points, Perdiz points, a Fresno point, ceramics, bifaces, an end scraper, a shell bead, various informal lithic tools, ground stone, choppers, debitage, and faunal remains. The Late Prehistoric component was approximately 40–80 cm thick. No cultural features were identified within the underlying Archaic components of the site; however, 3,421 artifacts were recovered including a Zephyr point, bifaces, ground stone, various informal lithic tools, choppers, debitage, and faunal remains. The Transitional Archaic component was approximately 35–60 cm thick; however, the underlying Archaic (and possible older) components were not defined. The excavations were limited to the right-of-way, and consequently the exposure afforded only a partial glimpse of the overall site. Based on the assemblage, the site is interpreted as a logistical base camp as indicated by both formal and informal tool forms and site furniture. Small groups exploited the abundance of lithic raw material and riparian zone resources, making forays into the landscape to hunt and forage. A total of four radiocarbon dates from the Late Prehistoric components reveal several short-term encampments over the course of several centuries from approximately 600 to 1200 B.P. (A.D. 750 to 1350). The Toyah Phase component has some noted disturbances (especially towards the ground surface), but good integrity from where the radiocarbon sample was collected. The Austin Phase component is vertically and horizontally discrete, contains a substantial amount of archaeological materials, and the site structure and radiocarbon dates suggests multiple, discrete occupations. The data recovery investigations at the Snakeskin Bluff site sought to address environmental, technological, chronological, and adaptive changes during the transition from Archaic to Late Prehistoric. As mentioned, the overall artifact and feature recovery at the site was low and disturbances and mixing of components was noted, especially within the upper deposits of the site. Disturbances within the Late Prehistoric Toyah Phase were most prevalent in the eastern portions of the site. The Late Prehistoric Austin Phase component contained intact, well-preserved archaeological deposits containing preserved flora and faunal material, cooking features, and diagnostic implements. The Transitional Archaic (and older) occupations were difficult to characterize, due to limited quantities of temporal diagnostic artifacts, lack of cultural features, and low artifact recovery. Despite these limitations, the data recovered from the cultural components show diachronic shifts between the technological and foraging strategies of the Archaic and Late Prehistoric. In concurrence with the 2016–2017 testing recommendations, the Snakeskin Bluff site is considered eligible for designation as an SAL and for the NRHP. Although not all cultural components of the site were stratigraphically discrete, the Late Prehistoric Austin Phase component revealed intact, well-preserved archaeological deposits that significantly contributed to our understanding of Late Prehistoric patterns. Given the sensitive nature of the cultural deposits at 41GU177, the main concern following the completion of data recovery excavations was the prevention of significant surface and subsurface impacts to the site during clearing and pipeline construction. As such, SWCA developed a site monitoring protocol; methods and results of the monitoring efforts are provided in Appendix H. Contributing components beyond the impact area will not be affected and will be preserved by avoidance; however, it is important to note that these investigations mitigated the project-specific effects, not the entire site. Any future project that could impact the site’s deeper deposits, or those beyond the current right-of-way, warrant further consideration to assess the possibilities for additional contributing components. With these considerations, no further work is recommended