ARCHIVED REPORTS LEC APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATION

Home Browse Search

LODI ENERGY CENTER PROJECT(LEC);CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT encompass the project area. No cultural resources are previously recorded within the LEC project area,within a 1-mile radius of the project area,within the proposed gas line,or within a one-quarter mile radius of the proposed gas line. No buildings or structures were noted on any of the historic maps within LEC project area or within the proposed gas line; however the Western Pacific Railroad is visible on the 1953 Lodi South 7.5' USGS topographic map at the very eastern end of the project area. Buildings and structures depicted on the 1952 topo map and located within the 1 mile radius of the LEC are limited to two structures,labeled'pump house' situated adjacent and directly south of the project area. Both of these structures are now gone and only one large concrete standpipe which was likely related to the pump houses remains. This standpipe was photographed during the survey. P-39-000098 Western Pacific Railroad The section of rail line visible on the 1953 Lodi South quad is a segment of the Old Western Pacific Railway Company main line. This line was originally built as a feeder line for the main Southern Pacific and Central Pacific lines,which were the first railroads to run through the San Joaquin Valley. The Western Pacific Railroad (WPRR) is now a part of the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR). Two separate sections of this railroad are recorded elsewhere in San Joaquin County as site P-39-00098, CA-SJO-000292-H. These previously recorded and discontinuous segments are not considered eligible to the NRHP as the segments lack integrity due to modern improvements made to the tracks,the rail ties, and the rail beds (Larson and Johnson 2003,Jensen,2004). The historic UPRR constructed in the late 1880's represented the westernmost portion of the Transcontinental Railroad between Sacramento and San Jose. The various rail lines of the UPRR are recorded elsewhere in San Joaquin County with the following site numbers: Southern Pacific, P-39-000002, CA-SJO-000250H; Western Pacific, P-39-000098, CA-SJO- 00292H; and Tidewater-Southern, P-39-000015, CA-SJO-00256H. The Western Pacific Railroad Company was founded in 1903 and the WPRR was built between 1905 and 1909. The rail line ran from Oakland, through the San Joaquin Valley and into the Sierra Nevadas to Salt Lake City by Feather River Canyon and Beckwourth Pass. The WPRR ran the California Zephyr passenger train and was the first large western railroad to eliminate steam locomotives and replace them with diesel locomotives (Kneiss 1953). The WPRR merged with the UPRR in 1983, two months before its 80ttn anniversary. Shortly after, the UPRR began a series of improvements to the Old WPRR tracks to enable larger locomotives and heavier freight cars running at higher speeds to run on the WPRR. The upgrades included heavier rails, new ties, and improved rail beds to permit higher tonnage on the tracks (Bridges 1983,Larson and Johnson 2003). Consultation A Sacred Lands File search and a Native American contacts list were requested from the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) on June 30,2008. The NAHC responded on July 10, 2008 with a list of Native Americans interested in consulting on development projects. At this time, no sacred sites are known to exist within the proposed project area; however, Native American consultation with tribes and individuals provided by the NAHC