ARCHIVED REPORTS LEC APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATION

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LODI ENERGY CENTER PROJECT(LEC);CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT were present and sensitivity is considered very low within the project area. All observed soils in the surveyed area range from medium to dark brown silty loam with some gravel and fist sized cobbles. Visibility on the eastern end of the proposed gas line along West Armstrong Road was fair at approximately 50%.Visibility ranged from excellent along the dirt road south of the Lodi- Kingdon airstrip to poor within fallow agricultural fields between the I-5 and the start of the paved road. The areas along the paved West Armstrong road are disturbed by two V ditches running adjacent to the road, grading for residences and a parking area for a small dairy, and grapevines. The areas along the dirt road are disturbed by both agricultural activities and grading for the dirt road. Underground water lines exist in the area; several were visible extending into V ditches adjacent to the dirt road. Several sections of ceramic water line have been pulled and dumped along the fields. All observed soils in the surveyed area range from medium to dark brown silty loam with some gravel and fist sized cobbles. Cultural sensitivity is considered low to moderate within the LEC area as the Union Pacific Railroad,historically the Western Pacific Railroad,runs through the eastern end of the proposed natural gas line corridor. Two other short discrete segments of this railroad are previously recorded north of the project and buffer areas as P-39-00098,CA-SJO-000292-H. The section of the WPRR located within the proposed natural gas line corridor runs along the footprint of the original grade;however,modern upgrades to the rail line,including modern rail crossings,upgraded rail lines and ties are extant. Additionally,the rail grade itself has been modified to allow for heavier loads to be run upon the tracks.This 100 foot segment was recorded during the archaeological survey;the recorded section is limited to the section of the railroad which bisects West Armstrong and extends approximately 50 feet north and 50 feet south of the crossing. A site record was prepared for the section of the UPRR, historically the WPRR, located on the eastern end of the project, on Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) forms. These completed forms are located in Appendix A. RECOMMENDATIONS The literature search and pedestrian inventory have shown no significant prehistoric or historic sites located within the LEC site area of potential effect. Although a 100 foot segment of the UPRR, historically the WPRR, which crosses the proposed natural gas line corridor was recorded as an historic resource, this short segment is not eligible to the NRHP and not considered a significant resource. The integrity of the section of the UPRR/WPRR located in the project area was compromised by a series of improvements to enable larger locomotives and heavier freight cars running at higher speeds to run on the WPRR. The improvements, begun in 1983, included heavier rails, new ties, and improving the rail beds to permit higher tonnage (Bridges 1983, Larson and Johnson 2003). This short segment no long retains the essential physical features that made up its character or appearance during its period of importance from 1905 to 1909,and although the rail line is located in its original footprint, the original historic materials and workmanship are no longer present or able to convey important associations with local historic events (National Park Service 1991).