Lake Pleasant and New Waddell Dam

Part of: Central Arizona Project Regulatory Storage Division

New Waddell Dam is located on the Agua Fria River about 35 miles northwest of Phoenix, Arizona, and impounds Lake Pleasant. The primary purpose of this facility is to store Colorado River water for CAP use. The dam also stores Agua Fria River runoff and provides flood protection by controlling the river flows. New Waddell Dam is located one-half mile downstream of the original Waddell Dam, which is now covered in the enlarged Lake Pleasant. The original Waddell Dam was built by the Maricopa Water District (MWD) to provide water for MWD lands on the west side of Phoenix. MWD continues to receive its water supply from Lake Pleasant.

This collection contains the results of cultural resource investigations and records of cultural resource management for the Lake Pleasant area.

Site Name Keywords
AZ T:4:150(ASM) • AZ T:4:156(ASM) • AZ T:4:157(ASM) • AZ T:4:154(ASM) • AZ T:4:58(ASM) • AZ T:4:54(ASM) • AZ T:4:159(ASM) • AZ T:4:56(ASM) • Sweat Homestead • Brown Homestead

Site Type Keywords
Domestic Structure or Architectural Complex • Domestic Structures • Resource Extraction / Production / Transportation Structure or Features • Archaeological Feature • Artifact Scatter • Field House • Rock Shelter • Rock Art • Petroglyph • Settlements

Other Keywords
Historic Ranching • Damage Assessment

Culture Keywords
Hohokam • Historic • Euroamerican • Historic Native American • Yavapai

Investigation Types
Site Stewardship Monitoring • Archaeological Overview • Records Search / Inventory Checking • Site Evaluation / Testing • Systematic Survey • Data Recovery / Excavation • Heritage Management

Material Types
Ground Stone • Ceramic • Chipped Stone • Building Materials • Metal • Fauna • Glass • Macrobotanical • Pollen • Fire Cracked Rock

Temporal Keywords
Historic Period • Protohistoric Period • Prehistoric • Hohokam Colonial period • Hohokam Early Classic period • Gila Butte Phase

Geographic Keywords
Yavapai County (County) • Arizona (State / Territory) • United States of America (Country) • North America (Continent) • Lake Pleasant Regional Park • USA (Country) • Maricopa County (County) • Agua Fria River • Tule Creek • US (ISO Country Code)

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Archaeological Assessment of 16 Sites at Lake Pleasant Regional Park Cultural Resource Assessment of 13 Sites in Lake Pleasant Regional Park, Yavapai County, Arizona
  • Cultural Resource Assessment of 13 Archaeological Sites Located in Lake Pleasant Regional Park: Select Photos (2006)
    IMAGE Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd..

    In the mid-1990s, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) completed a survey of Lake Pleasant Regional Park. The survey was undertaken to identify all cultural resources within the Park, which was acquired by Reclamation as part of construction of New Waddell Dam. In the intervening years, the Park has seen continued and increasing recreational use. In the 11 years since it completed the survey of the Park, Reclamation has monitored activity at nine of the 183 sites in the Park with the...

Cultural Resources Assessment of 39 Sites in the Agua Fria Conservation Area Damage Assessment of AZ T:4:157(ASM) and AZ T:4:156(ASM) in Lake Pleasant Regional Park, Yavapai County, Arizona Homesteading and Ranching in the Vicinity of Lake Pleasant Regional Park, Maricopa and Yavapai Counties, Arizona
  • Homesteading and Ranching in the Vicinity of Lake Pleasant Regional Park, Maricopa and Yavapai Counties, Arizona: Select Photos (2007)
    IMAGE Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd..

    The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) identified the need for an in-depth study of ranching and homesteading in Lake Pleasant Regional Park (LPRP). At Reclamation’s request, Archaeological Consulting Services (ACS) undertook this current study, which builds upon previous research and investigations sponsored by Reclamation that indicated that the ranching history was an important historic context for the area. This project includes: (1) archival research into the history of ranching in the...

Lake Pleasant 52 Sites Relocation
  • Lake Pleasant 52 Sites Relocation: Select Photos (2010)
    IMAGE Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd..

    In August and September 2010, Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd. (ACS) re-visited 52 sites in Lake Pleasant Regional Park to relocate the sites and assess their conditions. This record contains select photos that document the relocation work.

Lake Pleasant 8 Sites Relocation
  • Lake Pleasant 8 Sites Relocation: Select Photos (2012)
    IMAGE Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd..

    In January 2012, Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd. (ACS) re-visited 8 sites in Lake Pleasant Regional Park to relocate the sites and to assess their conditions. This record contains select photos that document the relocation work.

Lake Pleasant Condition Assessments for 41 Sites
  • Lake Pleasant Condition Assessments for 41 Sites: Select Photos (2009)
    IMAGE Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd..

    In November and December 2009, Archaeological Consulting Services, Inc. (ACS) re-visited 41 known archaeological sites in Lake Pleasant Regional Park. ACS archaeologists documented and assessed the condition of the sites. This record includes select photos from the assessment work.

Lake Pleasant Regional Park Cultural Resources Management Plan
  • Lake Pleasant Regional Park Cultural Resource Management Plan: Selected Photos (2002)
    IMAGE Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd..

    In 2004, Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd. (ACS) produced the Cultural Resources Management Plan for Lake Pleasant Regional Park to provide management recommendations to Maricopa County, AZ and the Bureau of Reclamation. The project synthesized information about the cultural resources in the park, and set forth policies and procedures to protect and manage them efficiently. The following images are selected photos taken during the course of the project. Please see image photo log...

Phase 1 Investigations at AZ T:4:150(ASM), a Multicomponent Rockshelter at Lake Pleasant Regional Park, Yavapai County, Arizona
  • Phase 1 Investigations at AZ T:4:150(ASM), A Multicomponent Rockshelter: Select Photos of Coring and Testing (2009)
    IMAGE Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd..

    At the request of the Bureau of Reclamation–Phoenix Area Office (PXAO), ACS conducted Phase 1 cultural resource assessments and investigations at AZ T:4:150(ASM), a multicomponent rockshelter site in Lake Pleasant Regional Park, in 2008. The site was being impacted by increased visitation and Reclamation is seeking to mitigate those impacts. ACS archaeologists completed surface collection, mapping, and soil coring at the site. These investigations confirmed that the site held the potential to...

  • Phase 1 Investigations at AZ T:4:150(ASM), A Multicomponent Rockshelter: Select Photos of Surface Collection (2009)
    IMAGE Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd..

    At the request of the Bureau of Reclamation–Phoenix Area Office (PXAO), ACS conducted Phase 1 cultural resource assessments and investigations at AZ T:4:150(ASM), a multicomponent rockshelter site in Lake Pleasant Regional Park, in 2008. The site was being impacted by increased visitation and Reclamation is seeking to mitigate those impacts. ACS archaeologists completed surface collection, mapping, and soil coring at the site. These investigations confirmed that the site held the potential to...

Phase 2 Data Recovery at AZ T:4:150(ASM), a Multicomponent Rockshelter at Lake Pleasant Regional Park, Yavapai County, Arizona
  • Phase 2 Data Recovery Investigations at AZ T:4:150(ASM), A Multicomponent Rockshelter: Select Photos (2010)
    IMAGE Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd..

    ACS conducted Phase 2 data recovery at the Lake Pleasant Rockshelter site (AZ T:4:150[ASM]) in 2010 at the request of the Bureau of Reclamation, Phoenix Area Office. The proposed work plan for Phase 2 (Pinter et al. 2009) was accepted by Reclamation, and was implemented in two sessions due to inclement weather and rising lake levels. The first session occurred in January 2010, followed by a hiatus to allow the lake level to drop and the weather to cool; the second and final session occurred in...