Archeological Resource Survey of a 2.9-mile Proposed Pipeline Corridor on University Lands in Ward County, Texas

Abstract

At the request of Salt Creek Midstream (SCM), Flatrock Engineering and Environmental, LLC (Flatrock) conducted an intensive archeological resource survey of approximately 2.9 miles (15,312 feet) of a proposed pipeline corridor on University Lands in northern Ward County, Texas. Because the project will take place on property owned by the University of Texas, a political subdivision of the State of Texas, it is subject to the Antiquities Code of Texas (Texas Natural Resources Code, Title 9, Chapter 191) and its associated regulations (13 TAC 26). The archeological survey was carried out under Antiquities Permit Number 9355. A pedestrian field survey was conducted by Flatrock archeologist Joel Butler on March 30 and 31, 2020. A corridor 100 feet in width, encompassing 38.7 acres, was surveyed during fieldwork. Surface visibility ranged from 80 to 100-percent along the 100-foot survey corridor and revealed predominantly heavily disturbed or deflated surfaces. The entire corridor was 100-percent surface inspected and 31 shovel tests were excavated to locate and/or evaluate the potential for buried cultural deposits; all shovel tests were negative. No artifacts or archeological sites were identified during fieldwork and no historic structures were visible from the right-of-way. Flatrock recommends that construction of the pipeline be allowed to proceed as planned, with no further archeological investigations. However, it is recommended that if any cultural resources are encountered during construction, the Texas Historical Commission and University Lands should be notified, and a qualified archeologist should evaluate the findings. No artifacts were collected or curated during this project; field records will be curated at the Center for Archaeological Studies (CAS) at Texas State University, San Marcos.