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T~eOol<>'nP..~, V.,"', 0' particular concern to' the Water and Power Resources ServIce In pianneng the Dolores Project are the cultura! resources of the land to be Impacted, Executive Order 11593 requires that 'ederal agencies assess and preserve the historical, archaeological, archi. tectural, and scientific resources within the prOject area, The Dolores River Valley is one of the places visited by the historic Dommguez-Escalante Expedition of 1776. Remains of the prehistoric village discovered by the expedihon are pre. served as a public facility. In addition, the valley was the home of native Americans for thousands of years previously. Their campsites and villages extend all along the river valley and carvings and pictographs decorate the f.c...hons..' ...~__~* U" "OU'<>' . '..m ....m'~' 'U''''Q "'<>00<1'''0 'l~ To recover sCientIfic data from the historical and archaeological resources In tt1e prOject area. the Water and Power Resources Service has imple. mented the Dolores Project Cultural Resources Mitigation Program. Water and Power has contracted with the UniverSity of Colorado lor the work necessary to minimize the adverse ",flo:>("<:; nf rnn<:;lrllrlinn nn lhl> r:lIllllr~1 walls of caves and rock,shellers along the canyon slopas. Tne v<tiiey contains a long record of human culture, and is particularly rich In the remains of the Anasazi culture. a society of village 'armers (A.D. soo.l3OQ). Several hundred sites have been identified in the project area, which has been recorded as the Anasazi Archaeological District in the National Register of Historic Places, Modern Euro-American settlement began in Ihe 1880's and the Dolores Valley was a favored homestead loca. lion. The towns of Big Bend and McPhee were established as local timber processing centers. Because of their potential historical importance, both townsites are being considered for nomination to the National RegIster of Historic Places. five areas of study crillcal to under. standing the ancient Anasazi farmmg commumties. To understand the economy and adap. tation of Ihe Anasazi. the natural resources that were available 10 them in the prOject area must tirst be identified. ResearCh will include studies 01 hOw th,.~" rp.l'>ources were collected. proc. The Dolores Valley includes a wide vaflety 01 environments. irom the river Itself to the rocky bluffs overlooking the valley. Though the river does not support a large fish population. the valley has a number of Important game and wildlife species. Studies by the Colorado Division 01 Fish and Game Indicate that it is a wintering area for large numbers 01 deer and elk, and for bald eagles as well. The Water and Power Resources Service Service has made a substantial commitment to assess the resources of the valley and to preserve Of protect them lor future generations through recovery 01 valuable scientific data. ~ .....1 - _""'f.l.. r .".~....~~ ~:..- " ~. \ ..' 1 . . ~ I' '.' :\... ...;, 1 ~ - PuPblo'oom..' '~:_V,'''<;~ ..," ~IOt_o." "e-O"~ anc""""'n.m'''~'''''''SI scientIsts seek 10 understand what activ.tles were practiced in particular localions Inside and outside the villages, and whether Anasazi groups moved from place to place duung the year in searCh of food and other resources. Another basic research approach adopted bv prOQram scientists is the