2012-03-07_PERMIT FILE - C2010088 (12)

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1000, but the period was punctuated with decades of drought staggered with decades of abundant precipitation. The Great Salt Lake reduced to near historic levels. The Little Ice Age (AD 1300 -1800; 700 -200 BP) was cooler than today from about AD 1300 -1650 with dips in the mid -18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. [Some extend this period through AD 1850 when there was another cold dip.] A rapid cooling of the climate occurred in the 14th century, then a variable but cool /moist climate continued through the period. There was a return to winter dominant rainfall with periods of great storms. In fact, the Great Salt Lake flooded the Great Salt Lake Desert in the early AD 1600's. After the AD 1850's, a warming trend began, and a steep rise in temperatures occurred through modern times. Most recently that trend has been attributed to human- caused warming that has been superimposed on other factors shaping the climate. Simms (2008:76) also presents a chart showing the levels of Lake Bonneville and the Great Salt Lake that provides a relative magnitude of decreased/increased moisture throughout the region. The lakes reached their lowest levels between about 11,000- 10,500 BP, 9000 -8000 BP, 7200 -6200 BP, 5600 -3800 BP, and 1100 -850 BP. Summary of Files Search and Literature Overview The files search indicated that no cultural resources had been previously recorded within the block area. The review showed that fourteen resources had been previously recorded in the surrounding area; these are listed below on Table 1. Additionally, the files search indicated that five cultural resource studies have been previously conducted in the nearby vicinity; these are listed below on Table 2. A search of the historic government land office survey maps dated 1918 by Tufts, indicated that the historic Salt Lake Wagon Road passed through the present study area near its southwest corner. No evidence of the road could be found within the present project boundary. Cultural resource investigations in the region have yielded surface diagnostic artifacts and excavated cultural materials consistent with the regional cultural history. Evidence provided by chronometric diagnostic artifacts and radiocarbon analyses indicate regional occupation during the Paleoindian, Archaic, Formative, and Protohistoric Eras. Historic records suggest occupation or use of the region by EuroAmerican trappers, settlers, miners, and ranchers as well. Overviews of the prehistory and history of the region are provided in the Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists' publications entitled "Colorado Prehistory: A Context for the Northern Colorado River Basin" (Reed and Metcalf 1999), and "Colorado History: A Context for Historical Archaeology" (Church et al. 2007). 0