Dunes and Deflation: Excavations at LA 124525 and LA 161918 at the Intrepid Potash East Mine, Eddy County, New Mexico

Summary

In July 2010, the area around the lower east catchment basin at Intrepid Potash, Inc.’s East Mine was disturbed to allow for road and additional access around the pond. A series of ponds around the East mine tailings pile are designed to store brine water for re-use in the processing plant. The lower east catchment basin is the last pond in this series of ponds. The construction of additional access was required for water management activities during a high precipitation event that eventually required Intrepid to release water from a discharge structure at the lower east catchment basin into Nash Draw drainage. The BLM-CFO identified two known archaeological sites in the vicinity of the catchment basins that would be adversely affected by the construction and cleanup activities. These are LA 124525 and LA 161918. This document contains a summary of the data recovery work conducted at LA 124525 and LA 161918 to mitigate any adverse effect. Data recovery including surface collection, the treatment of features, prospection for additional features, and geomorphological studies conducted at LA 124525.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Carlsbad Field Office

Keywords

Temporal Coverage

Calendar Date: -4000 to 1350

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contributor(s): Harley Everhart

Principal Investigator(s): Douglas H. M. Boggess

Sponsor(s): Bureau of Land Management- Carlsbad Field Office

Prepared By(s): Lone Mountain Archaeological Services, Inc.

Submitted To(s): Intrepid Potash, Inc.

Record Identifiers

Applicable Cultural Resource Permit No.(s): BLM 122-2920-12-JJJ

Performing Agency/Consultant Report No.(s): LMAS 1459DR

NMCRIS Activity No.(s): 128289

File Information