Cultural Resources Survey of a 3,200-foot-long Corridor for the Proposed Wilmot Tie Line, Pima County, Arizona

Trico Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Trico), proposes to use federal funds administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service (RUS) to construct a new 477 ACSR (aluminum conductor steel reinforced) 25-kilovolt (kV) overhead electric tie line in unincorporated Pima County, Arizona. The line would constitute new construction on State Trust land within an existing ASLD easement. Trico contracted SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) to conduct a cultural resources survey of the project corridor to identify any cultural resources that may be affected by the proposed construction. The survey is intended to aid RUS with its responsibilities under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, to aid the ASLD and PCDOT in complying with Arizona’s State Historic Preservation Act (Arizona Revised Statutes § 41-861 et seq.). The cultural resources survey of the project area resulted in the identification of one newly recorded archaeological site (AZ EE:1:463 [ASM]), and three isolated occurrences that do not constitute archaeological sites within the criteria specified by the Arizona State Museum. The S/NRHP eligibility of the newly recorded site—AZ EE:1:463 (ASM)—cannot be adequately evaluated by survey of the modern ground surface. The small number and limited variety of artifacts present, and the absence of visible features, indicate that the site is likely of limited information potential; however, the possibility of intact buried cultural features cannot be ruled out. Such buried features would likely contribute to the site’s eligibility for listing in the S/NRHP under Criterion D.