Abstract
Oncor Electric Delivery Company, LLC (Oncor) is planning to construct the Owl Hills—Tunstill 138-kV Transmission Line Route in Culberson, Reeves and Loving Counties, Texas. Oncor contracted with Halff Associates, Inc. to conduct an intensive pedestrian survey of 18.5 miles of new 138-kV transmission line on private property. The survey was conducted January 20-24, 2020 and a total of 102 shovel tests were excavated in areas where buried archeological deposits where expected, and two 15-meter (32.8-foot) transects underwent pedestrian survey within the 70-foot (21.3-meter) wide survey corridor, which measures approximately 157 acres. Three archeological sites (41RV208, 41RV209 and 41RV213) were identified and recorded during the archeological survey. Site 41RV208 is a prehistoric occupation containing a surface deposit of 12 lithic debitage, 6 flake tools, 6 cores, 2 groundstone fragments and 40 fire cracked rocks (FCR). The site is situated on a gravelly and deflated upland that forms the western rim of the Pecos River valley. Site 41RV209 consists of a prehistoric occupation containing a surface deposit of 12 FCR, 6 lithic debitage, 3 flake tools, 2 cores, 1 uniface, and 1 biface. This site is situated on the heavily eroded west bank of Salt Creek and has been disturbed by construction activities associated with an adjacent pipeline corridor. Site 41RV213 is an abandoned section of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (ATSF) Railway that parallels U.S. Highway 285 to the east. The section of railroad in the surveyed area has undergone extensive disturbance and consists of a narrow linear piling of fill, railroad gravels and non-descript metal debris. It is Halff’s recommendation that sites 41RV208, 41RV209 and 41RV213 are ineligible for National Register of Historic Places consideration in the surveyed area and no further cultural resources investigations are warranted for the project. While shovel testing within the lower terraces of the Pecos River valley floor resulted in negative findings, most of the shovel tests in this area did not encounter restrictive deposits soil or geologic deposits that antedate the Holocene. Therefore, the installation of the transmission line poles located along the lower alluvial terraces of the Pecos River was recommended for archeological monitoring. Halff recommends that construction of the remainder of the proposed transmission line route be allowed to proceed and that no additional archaeological investigations are recommended outside of the monitoring area. However, if the proposed transmission line route alignment changes, additional archeological survey may be necessary. In addition, should any cultural resources be discovered during the construction or maintenance activities associated with the project, work in the immediate area shall cease and the Texas Historical Commission be notified of the discovery.
Highlights
Halff Associates, Inc. (Halff) conducted an intensive pedestrian archeological survey on behalf of Oncor Electric Delivery Company, LLC (Oncor) for the proposed Owl Hills—Tunstill 138-kV Transmission Line Route in Culberson, Reeves and Loving Counties, Texas
The entire Owl Hills—Tunstill Transmission Line Route underwent pedestrian survey using two transects placed 5 to 10 m (16 to 33 ft) on either side of the proposed centerline in the identified Moderate Probability Areas (MPAs) and intensive survey with shovel tests placed at 30- to 50-m intervals within portions of the Route corridor designated as High Probability Areas (HPAs)
Intensive Archeological Survey of the Owl Hills—Tunstill 138-kV Transmission Line Route The southern end of the Route begins at the existing Tunstill point of delivery (POD) and traverses the alluvial terraces and floodplain of the Pecos River, which were treated as one continuous HPA
Summary
Halff Associates, Inc. (Halff) conducted an intensive pedestrian archeological survey on behalf of Oncor Electric Delivery Company, LLC (Oncor) for the proposed Owl Hills—Tunstill 138-kV Transmission Line Route in Culberson, Reeves and Loving Counties, Texas. (Halff) conducted an intensive pedestrian archeological survey on behalf of Oncor Electric Delivery Company, LLC (Oncor) for the proposed Owl Hills—Tunstill 138-kV Transmission Line Route in Culberson, Reeves and Loving Counties, Texas. The proposed project includes approximately 18.5 miles of new electric transmission line to be constructed on private land between the existing Owl Hills substation and Tunstill point of delivery (POD) (Figures 1 and 2). The proposed transmission line corridor (Route) traverses privately-owned commercial lands used for agriculture and oil and gas leases, paralleling and intersecting with numerous existing pipeline corridors and lease roads. The Route crosses US Highway 285 approximately 4.5 miles north of the community of Orla, Texas. Construction of the transmission line design includes mechanized land clearing typically to depths of 6 to 24 inches (15 to 60 centimeters [cm]). The depth may extend as deep as 60 ft (18.3 m)
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