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2023 Cultural Resource Site Assessments for Collom Expansion Project Colowyo <br />Tetra Tech June 2023 9 <br />For Official Use Only: Disclosure of Site Locations Prohibited (43 CFR 7.18) <br />Collom Mine Expansion Class III Inventory project and in 2015 by Tetra Tech for the Collom Mine <br />Expansion Site Assessment project. During both revisits, the site was found to be in the same <br />condition as reported in 1983 despite noted impacts from the construction of County Road 51, an <br />overhead power line, and collection of artifacts. Two features were observed, a light charcoal <br />stain with heat-altered rock (HAR) and a second charcoal stain with no HAR. The artifact <br />assemblage consisted of one tan side-notched projectile point of tan oolitic chert, two chert and <br />two quartzite bifaces, two scrapers, two utilized flakes, and over 100+ white chert lithic flakes. <br />Tetra Tech did record a new site boundary as the current polygon appeared to be off. The new <br />boundary documented in 2015 measured 185 m by 94 m. <br />In 2019, Tetra Tech revisited the site as part of the second round of assessments. The site had <br />not been adversely affected by mining activities; however, a thin layer of aeolian sandy silt was <br />observed across the entire site. The layer was likely from dust kicked up by continued regular use <br />of the adjacent County Road 51 with a briefer period of deposition caused by construction <br />activities for the Collom haul road in 2017 and 2018. The additional sedimentary deposits were <br />not considered impacts to the site or its potential NRHP eligibility. The original site datum was <br />relocated, and a new GPS point was taken. None of the originally identified tools were relocated, <br />and the observed artifact assemblage consisted of approximately 40 white chert flakes. The HAR <br />that made up Feature 1 was relocated, however, the previously noted staining was partially <br />covered by the new aeolian sediments. Features 2 and 3 were not relocated. The two features <br />were likely reburied by new aeolian sediments. <br />In 2023, Tetra Tech revisited the site as part of the third round of assessments (Figure 5). The <br />site has not been adversely affected by mining activities. The 2023 revisit observed approximately <br />20 white chert flakes and one fire-cracked rock (FCR) fragment. None of the features were <br />observed as a thin layer of aeolian sandy silt has been deposited across the site. The layer was <br />observed in 2019 obscuring Features 2 and 3. Feature 1 is now also not visible. The added <br />sediments since 2019 are from continued regular use of the adjacent County Road 51 and natural <br />processes moving deposits formed from the construction activities for the Collom haul road in <br />2017 and 2018. The additional sedimentary deposits are not considered impacts to the site or its <br />potential NRHP eligibility. Tetra Tech recommends that mining activities continue to avoid the site <br />until further assessment is completed to fully evaluated the site’s NRHP eligibility. <br />NRHP Status and Condition Assessment <br />In 1983, Site 5MF.1652 was recommended as needing more data by Mariah Associates to <br />determine its eligibility for inclusion on the NRHP. TRC agreed with this determination in 2005. <br />The site likely contains subsurface deposits and additional testing is necessary to determine the <br />extent of the cultural material to support an NRHP eligibility status determination. Based on the <br />2023 revisit, Tetra Tech agrees with the recommendation that additional data is needed. The site <br />integrity remains unchanged from previous recordation. The site should continue to be avoided <br />pending additional subsurface testing to determine whether unobserved subsurface cultural <br />material is indeed present at the site. <br />