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~_i CHAPTERTHREE Affected Environment In the Parachute Creek Valley, cultural resources inventories have been conducted for the above referenced pipeline corridors, as well as a comprehensive inventory of the valley floor for the Union Oil Company (Jennings and Ritchie 1975). The Union Oil Company survey covered the bottomland, or floodplain, of Parachute Creek and its East Fork. It extended from neaz Parachute (formerly Grand Valley) north to the confluence of the West, Middle, and East Forks of Parachute Creek. This survey examined almost of all of the surveyable bottomlands and protruding benches within the area. One prehistoric site, 12 historic sites, and two prehistoric isolated finds were recorded during this survey. The prehistoric site is an open titbit site, eleven of the historic sites aze homesteads, and the remaining historic site is the Grantee Schoolhouse (SGF 148). All of the sites, both historic and prehistoric, with the exception of the Grantee Schoolhouse, were recommended as not eligible for the NHRP. The Grantee Schoolhouse is located neaz, but outside of, the proposed pipeline corridor. Since this survey was conducted ' neazly 25 years ago using methods that are not the same as today's methods, it is possible that additional sites might be located in this azea. The cultural resources inventory for the Colorado Interstate Gas pipeline recorded five historic sites along the pipeline corridor in the Parachute Creek Valley. Two of the sites represent the remains of homesteads and the other three aze irrigation ditches. All five of the sites were ' recommended as not eligible for the NRHP (Bio-Resources 1995; Metcalf Archaeological Consultants 1994a, 1994b). A cultural resources inventory for the Barrett Resources Red Point #44-36 well location recorded one site along the pipeline corridor in the Parachute Creek valley. This site is a historic homestead that was field evaluated as not eligible for the NRHP (Conner and Davenport 1997). A review of historic maps on file at the Glenwood Springs Resource Area revealed several historic features located in or neaz the proposed pipeline corridor. A trail is shown on historic USGS quadrangle maps (USGS 1925, 1948). This trail intersects the proposed pipeline corridor ' in Section 34 T4S R96W. It then generally pazallels the proposed corridor through Sections 2, 3, 11, and 14 TSS R96W. At this point the trail continues to the south across Davis Point while the proposed pipeline would rum east and follow a side drainage into the Middle Fork Parachute Creek valley. Portions of this trail are shown on the current USGS map as a two-track road. The historic USGS maps also depict a road that begins as two-track in Section 18 TSS R95W (USGS ' 1925, 1948). It trends south into Section 19, where it is shown on the maps as an improved road. This road then follows the Middle Fork Parachute Creek to the confluence of the west and east forks, and then continues along the main stem of the creek to beyond the proposed Parachute Plant Site. This road generally follows the alignment of the current County Road 215, however, it appears that portions of the current alignment deviate significantly from the original alignment as depicted on the historic maps. It is possible that remnant portions of the original alignment may still be present along portions of the proposed pipeline corridor. The northern segment of this road is also depicted on the General Land Office (GLO) plat map for TSS R95W that was surveyed between 1913 and 1918 (GLO 1918), and the southern portion is shown on the GLO I plat map for T6S R96W that was surveyed in 1912 (GLO 1912). Also depicted on the 19] 8 map are two buildings in Section 30, and a telephone line in Sections 30 and 31 (GLO 1918). One of the buildings appears to be out of the azea of potential effect for the proposed pipeline. The two buildings are also shown on the historic quadrangle maps (USGS 1925, 1948). A GLO plat map ' Cultural and Paleontological Resources 3-47