A Class One Overview for the Proposed San Carlos Irrigation Project Joint Works Rehabilitation: Report

The Bureau of Reclamation, Phoenix Area Office (Reclamation), undertook the development of a Water Management Plan (WMP) as part of the Central Arizona Project (CAP). In consultation with the San Carlos Irrigation Project (SCIP), the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC), and the San Carlos Irrigation and Drainage District (SCIDD), it was proposed that the Joint Works would require rehabilitation or replacement to facilitate the WMP, specifically the delivery of water to the Pima-Maricopa Irrigation Project (P-MIP). The Joint Works consist of SCIP facilities that are used jointly by GRIC and SCIDD for their respective water delivery systems.
As part of the SCIP Joint Works Rehabilitation Project, Reclamation directed Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd. (ACS) to conduct a Class I overview of the area that would be impacted by this undertaking. ACS identified 103 previous cultural resource projects had been completed within the area of potential effect, resulting in the identification of 196 archaeological sites, many with multiple components. Of these sites, the majority were prehistoric and associated with the Hohokam. ACS also consulted General Land Office Records (GLO) and identified an additional 178 features. The historical-period sites identified during this project date from the mid-1860s to the 1960s. The report discussion focuses on the quality and reliability of the data, research potential in the project area, and preliminary recommendations regarding eligibility for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.