Plateau has been assisting the Town of Winthrop and Shea, Carr & Jewell, Inc., dba SCJ Alliance with cultural resource requirements for the town’s water improvements project. As part of the project, Plateau provided a cultural resource survey and report in 2014. At the recommendation of a Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Plateau prepared an Inadvertent Discovery Plan (IDP) and provided an archaeologist to monitor the excavations of a portion of the water project that included a 500-foot stretch of White Avenue.
Archaeological monitoring of excavations along White Avenue for the Winthrop Water Improvements Project occurred for five days in March and April of 2017. The work was primarily trenching, but also included the installation of three side services and one hydrant. During excavations, the spoils were piled adjacent to the trench. This provided additional views of the materials and allowed for a sample of the sediments to be screened by the Plateau archaeologist. Eventually, the spoils were either moved off the project area and replaced with bedding materials, or the spoils were reused to backfill the trench. The Plateau archaeologist was positioned near the work to observe the excavation, the resulting floor and walls of the excavation, and the spoils.
While evidence of previous road construction and drainage allowances were observed, no precontact or time diagnostic historic-era cultural resources were identified during the excavations. It is Plateau’s opinion the installation of water pipeline along White Avenue resulted in No Historic Properties Affected.
