HomeMy WebLinkAboutAppx D BRPS sed removal CR reviewKing County Historic Preservation Program Cultural Resources
Review
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Project Name: Black River Pump Station Forebay Sediment Removal
Project No.: 1120590 Task No.: 2 Award No.: 114194
Date Requested: 2/7/14 Reviewer(s): Philippe LeTourneau, Charlie Sundberg
Review Date: 4/3/14 (revised 8/5/14)
Federal Undertaking? Yes – USACE permit
Department/Division/Section: DNRP/WLRD/RFMS
Contact: Erik Peters
Project Location
Street Address: 1110 Monster Road SW, Renton, WA 98055.
Parcels: 3779200119, 3779200090.
Summary Project Description
King County WLRD plans to dredge in the concrete-lined forebay of the Black River Pump
Station and adjacent concrete-lined river channel (dredging area) to remove accumulated
sediment since the channel was constructed in the early 1970s. Dredged sediments will be
dewatered and processed in a just-over-1-acre area north and adjacent to the pump station
(dewatering area). The dewatering area will be disturbed for site preparation (including grading
and tree removal and grubbing) and restoration to a depth of less than 2 feet.
King County HPP reviewed the Black River Pump Station Fuel Upgrades Project in parcel
3779200090 in March 2013. Ground disturbance for the project was 18 m southwest of the
current project’s dredging area. Because all ground disturbance for that project was within
artificial fill, we recommended that no archaeological work was necessary prior to construction.
Known Cultural Resources Within or Adjacent to Area of Potential Effects (APE)
Historic Res. Inventory: South Water Treatment Plant (3056), 230 m to S, will not be
affected. None in APE.
Other Above-Ground Historic Resources: The Black River Pump Station was constructed in
the early 1970s, but does not appear to be individually eligible for National Register listing.
Archaeological Sites: One historic site (45KI538) 15 m, two prehistoric sites (45KI267,
45KI438) 480 m; none in APE.
Burke Museum Reported Sites: None.
Ethnographic Places: Village site (7047) 120 m, three geographic features with ethnographic
names (7048, 7160, 7161) 65-250 m, mythological place (7049) 355 m; none in APE.
GLO Map (1862, 1863) Features: The APE is in the C. E. Brownell Donation Land Claim.
Other DAHP Sites (cemeteries, etc.): None.
Information from Historic Maps, Aerial Photographs, Other Sources: The APE has been logged
at least once: the 1897 Tacoma Land Classification Map shows the APE as “Cut…not
restocking”. According to WLRD, the pump station, its concrete-lined forebay and channel, and
excavation of a new river channel was completed in the early 1970s. Comparison of 1969
engineering drawings for construction of the pump station and 2012 drawings for the current
project shows that 8.5-16.5 ft of artificial fill was placed in the current dewatering area as part of
pump station construction. The 1969 drawings show existing elevations of 12-14 ft and planned
King County Historic Preservation Program Cultural Resources
Review
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elevations of 20-25 ft; planned fill thickness was 4-13 ft. The 2012 drawings show existing
elevations of 24.5-28.5 ft in the dewatering area (after subtracting 3.5 ft to reflect a post-1969
vertical datum shift so that the measurements are comparable).
Comments: No known above-ground properties listed in or eligible for local, state or national
registers are in or adjacent to the APE.
Cultural Resources Surveys Within or Adjacent to Project Area: Fernandez 2011 (1681527)
excavated one shovel probe adjacent to north side of dewatering area: fill to at least 52 cm (1.7
ft), historic materials of unknown age. Gilpin & Dellert (2010) (no NADB) excavated one shovel
probe in southeastern corner of dewatering area: 40 cm (1.3 ft) of fill above 90 cm (3 ft) of intact
alluvial sediments with clam and mussel shell and burned wood, no definite cultural materials.
Given that 8.5-16.5 feet of fill was placed in the dewatering area as part of pump station
construction, Gilpin & Dellert’s identification of intact sediments must be incorrect. According to
WLRD, the sediments that Gilpin and Dellert identified as intact were probably dredged from the
Black River channel and placed in the dewatering area.
DAHP GIS Predictive Model Classification: Very High Risk.
Environmental Conditions
Landform: Holocene alluvium on floodplain Distance to Water: 0-70 m
Water Source: Black River Slope: < 1 %
Information from historic maps, aerial photos, other sources: Historic maps (1862, 1863, 1907)
and aerial photographs (1936, 1940) show the Black R. channel farther south than it is today.
Comments: None.
King County CRPP GIS Model Classification: High Probability of archaeological resources in
dewatering area, Low Probability of intact archaeological resources. Low Probability of
archaeological resources in dredging area.
Comments: The dewatering area has a High Probability of containing archaeological sites
based on environmental and other factors, but it has a Low Probability of containing intact
archaeological resources because project-related ground disturbance will be entirely within
artificial fill. The dredging area has a Low Probability of containing archaeological sites because
all dredging will be within concrete-lined areas.
Recommendations
No action Arch. Survey Arch. Monitoring DAHP Excavation Permit Other
Comments: Work crews should be familiar with the KCHPP’s Archaeological Resources in King
County so that they can recognize archaeological materials and will understand and follow
proper procedures should archaeological materials or human remains be found during the
project.
WLRD should contact interested Indian Tribes as early as possible in project planning to inquire
about concerns and information they may have about cultural resources in the APE and should
keep them updated as to upcoming project activities.
NOTE: This information is confidential and must not be released to the public. Site locations must
be summarized without specific details in ECLs and other public documents. Confidentiality of
archaeological site information is protected under RCW 42.56.300.