Salt River Project: Superior to Silver King 115kV Transmission Line Reroute, Pinal County, Arizona

Summary

Salt River Project (SRP) plans to reroute a segment of the Superior-Silver King 115 kV transmission line that crosses lands owned by Resolution Copper Mining (Resolution) west of Superior, Pinal County, Arizona. The transmission line draws power from the existing SRP Silver King to Kyrene East End Transmission System (SKKEETS). The transmission line is located entirely on lands owned by Resolution, and the project is the relocation of an existing 115 kV line segment.

The relocation of the power line will be the subject of an Arizona Corporation Commission review and will require the attendant Certificate of Environmental Compatibility. Resolution retained WestLand Resources, Inc. (WestLand), to identify cultural resources that might be affected by the construction and maintenance of the proposed rerouted power line. WestLand performed the cultural resources inventory to the standards required for compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (as amended). The inventory consisted of a literature search, records check, and pedestrian archaeological survey. The initial archaeological survey and site recording were conducted by William L. Deaver and Annie King on October 6 and 7, 2011. Additional acreage added to the transmission line corridor was surveyed by William L. Deaver on February 16, 2012.

The cultural resources inventory identified two archaeological sites and 38 isolated finds within the project area. AZ U:12:217(ASM) is the Silver King Road, which was in place by 1948. The other site, AZ U:12:218(ASM), is a miner’s cabin. This site is located within the Gerald Cansler lode mining claim (GLO Patent 857949) that was owned by the Magma Chief Copper Company in 1922. Arizona State Museum (ASM) site files indicated that a third site, NA15722(MNA), might also be located in the project area. This site is in fact located west of the present project area and was excavated between fall 1978 and spring 1979 (Yablon and Weaver 1981). Most of the isolated archaeological finds are related to mining in the area. These consist of cairns, prospects, excavations, roads, and pipelines. The exact age of many of these features is unknown. Other isolated archaeological finds are probably related to the use of Silver King Road and represent trash tossed along the roadside. Two isolated artifacts were found that represent Native American activities in the area.

WestLand recommends that AZ U:12:218(ASM) is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), but that AZ U:12:217(ASM) is not eligible for listing. None of the isolated finds are considered eligible for the NRHP. WestLand recommends that SRP take steps in the design of the transmission line to avoid affecting AZ U:12:218(ASM).

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Arizona State Parks Digital Archive   •
• AZ State Parks DAHA Resources   •
• Digital Archive of Huhugam Archaeology (DAHA)

Keywords

Temporal Coverage

Calendar Date: 1150 to 1450 (Date range for the Late Formative Period)

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Arizona State Parks

Landowner(s): Resolution Copper Mining

Prepared By(s): WestLand Resources, Inc.

Submitted To(s): Salt River Project

Record Identifiers

Cultural Resources Report No.(s): 2011-51

Project No.(s): 807-40 A 500

File Information