An Archaeological Survey of the Reach 9 Realignment, Granite Reef Aqueduct, Central Arizona Project, Maricopa County, Arizona

Under contract with the Bureau of Reclamation, the Office of Cultural Resource Management, Department of Anthropology, Arizona State University, completed an archaeological survey of areas within Reach 9 of the Granite Reef Aqueduct, Central Arizona Project. The survey area encompassed approximately 728 hectares (1800 acres) on the northwest margin of the Salt River Valley just west of the Agua Fria River. Reach 9 is located about 48 km (30 mi) northwest of Phoenix and runs east from U.S. Highway 60-89, 4.8 km (3 mi) southeast of Wittmann, Arizona, to the Hieroglyphic Mountains. The Reach 9 survey project area included a detention basin 9.5 km (6 mi) long and 600 m (1969 ft) wide, a construction alignment approximately 16 km (10 mi) long and 200 m (656 ft ) wide, a 16 hectare (40 acre) waste disposal area and 7.25 km (4.5 mi) of road right-of-way.

This report describes the results of the archaeological survey within Reach 9 of the Granite Reef Aqueduct. During the course of the survey, seven sites, five field loci, and numerous isolated artifacts were recorded. The sites include two historic foundations with associated trash probably dating to the 1920s or 1930s; three simple sherd and lithic scatters which have been tentatively assigned a Sedentary (A.D. 900-1100) or Classic (A.D. 1100-1450) period date; a single, more complex sherd and lithic activity area with an early Colonial period (A.D. 500-700) date; and a possible soil and water control system of undetermined date. The identified field loci have been tentatively associated with the exploitation of local floral and faunal resources.

The results of the survey indicate that this area was only minimally used by prehistoric groups. Resource potential in the area would have been relatively low when compared to the adjacent riverine environment along the Agua Fria. Prior to the Anglo intrusion into the region, the study area appears to have supported only temporary and probably seasonal forays by neighboring Hohokam groups in search of plant, animal and perhaps mineral resources to supplement their subsistence.