SWPPP.pdf

ACHD Supplied SWPPP Information This information is provided to the Contractor to aid in the preparation of the SWPPP Report and NOI.

1. Project/Site Information

i. Project Name: South Meridian Improvements A Bundle

ii. Project Street/Location: Stoddard Road – Victory to Overland, Meridian ID

iii. Project Latitude/Longitude: 43*34’56.22” N / 116*24’12.20” W

i. Method for determining latitude/longitude:

USGS topographic map (specify scale: ) EPA Web site GPS

Other (please specify): Google Earth

iv. Additional Project Information:

i. Is the project/site located on Indian country lands, or located on a property of religious or cultural significance to an Indian tribe? Yes No

ii. If yes, provide the name of the Indian tribe associated with the area of Indian country (including the name of Indian reservation if applicable), or if not in Indian country, provide the name of the Indian tribe associated with the property: N/A

2. Discharge Information

i. Does your project/site discharge stormwater into a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer

System (MS4)? Yes No

ii. Are there any surface waters that are located within 50 feet of your construction disturbances? Yes No

iii. Names of Receiving Waters:

Name(s) of the first surface water that receives stormwater directly from your site and/or from the MS4 (note: multiple rows provided where your site has more than one point of discharge that flows to different surface waters)

1. None

2.

3.

Is this surface water listed as

“impaired”?

If you answered yes, then answer the following:

What pollutant(s) are causing the impairment?

Has a TMDL been completed?

Title of the

TMDL

document

Pollutant(s) for which there is a

TMDL

1. YES NO YES NO

2. YES NO YES NO

3. YES NO YES NO

iv. Describe the method(s) you used to determine whether or not your project/site discharges to an impaired water: There are no direct discharges to surface water from this site.

v. Are any of the surface waters to which you discharge designated by the state or tribal authority under its antidegradation policy as a Tier 2 (or Tier 2.5) water (water quality exceeds levels necessary to support propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and recreation in and on the water) or as a Tier 3 water (Outstanding Natural Resource

Water)? (See Appendix F). Yes No If yes, name(s) of receiving water(s) and its designation (Tier 2, Tier 2.5 or Tier 3): N/A

3. Nature of the Construction Activity

i. Size of Construction Project: What is the size of the property (in acres), the total area expected to be disturbed by the construction activities (in acres), and the maximum area expected to be disturbed at any one time?

8.7 acres

8.9 acres

6.2 acres

4. Endangered Species Protection:

i. Eligibility Criterion: ☐A ☐B ☒C ☐D ☐E

ii. Include documentation supporting your determination of eligibility.

Supporting Documentation

Provide documentation for the applicable eligibility criterion you select in Appendix D, as follows:

For criterion A, indicate the basis for your determination that no federally-listed threatened or endangered species or their designated critical habitat(s) are likely to occur in your site’s action area (as defined in Appendix A of the permit). Check the applicable source of information you relied upon:

Specific communication with staff of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service or National Marine

Fisheries Service. N/A

Publicly available species list. N/A

Other source: N/A

For criterion B, provide the Tracking Number from the other operator’s notification of permit authorization: N/A

Provide a brief summary of the basis used by the other operator for selecting criterion A, B, C, D, E, or F: N/A

For criterion C, provide the following information:

▪ Monarch Butterfly, Suckley's Cuckoo Bumble Bee, Slickspot Peppergrass

▪ Unknown

Also, provide a brief summary of the basis used for determining that your site’s discharges and discharge-related activities are not likely to adversely affect listed species or critical habitat: IPaC Information for Planning and Consultation (US Fish & Wildlife)

For criterion D, E, or F, attach copies of any letters or other communication between you and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service or National Marine Fisheries Service concluding consultation or coordination activities. N/A

5. Historic Preservation:

Step 1

Do you plan on installing any of the following stormwater controls at your site? Check all that apply below, and proceed to Appendix E, Step 2.

Dike

Berm

Catch Basin

Pond

Stormwater Conveyance Channel (e.g., ditch, trench, perimeter drain, swale, etc.)

Culvert

Other type of ground-disturbing stormwater control: Seepage Bed

(Note: If you will not be installing any ground-disturbing stormwater controls, no further documentation is required for

Section 3.2 of the Template.)

Step 2

If you answered yes in Step 1, have prior surveys or evaluations conducted on the site already determined that historic properties do not exist, or that prior disturbances at the site have precluded the existence of historic properties? YES NO

▪ If yes, no further documentation is required for Section 3.2 of the Template.

▪ If no, proceed to Appendix E, Step 3.

Step 3

If you answered no in Step 2, have you determined that your installation of subsurface earth-disturbing stormwater controls will have no effect on historic properties?

YES NO

If yes, provide documentation of the basis for your determination. No records of National Register of

Historic Places (NHRP) occur on Idaho’s State Historical Preservation Office's (SHPO) webmap

If no, proceed to Appendix E, Step 4.

Step 4

If you answered no in Step 3, did the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), Tribal Historic

Preservation Office (THPO), or other tribal representative (whichever applies) respond to you within 15 calendar days to indicate whether the subsurface earth disturbances caused by the installation of stormwater controls affect historic properties? YES NO

If no, no further documentation is required for Section 3.2 of the Template.

If yes, describe the nature of their response:

Written indication that adverse effects to historic properties from the installation of stormwater controls can be mitigated by agreed upon actions. N/A

No agreement has been reached regarding measures to mitigate effects to historic properties from the installation of stormwater controls. N/A

Other: N/A http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/npdes/stormwater/upload/cgp2012_finalpermit.pdf http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/npdes/stormwater/Stormwater-Pollution-Prevention-Plans-for-Construction-Activities.cfm http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/npdes/stormwater/upload/cgp2012_finalpermit.pdf http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/npdes/stormwater/Stormwater-Pollution-Prevention-Plans-for-Construction-Activities.cfm

IDAHO HISTORIC SITES INVENTORY FORM

FIELD#

NR REF #

REV#

QUADRANGLE MERIDIAN

TOWNSHIP 3 N_S N RANGE 1 E_W E SECTION 24 ¼, ¼SE ¼SW

SANBORN MAP SANBORN MAP#

UTMZ 11 EASTING 548113 NORTHING 4825159TAX PARCEL #

STREET Stoddard Road

CITY Meridian VICINITY

SUBNAME BLOCK SUBLOT

PROPERTY NAME Ridenbaugh Canal

RECORDED BY Kelly Mitchell PH ADDRESS WCE Inc. 3813 W. State St., Boise, ID 83703

PROJ/RPT TITLE Cultural Resources Inventory Report for Stoddard Bridge #2085 Project, Ada County, Idaho

SVY RPT #

MS RPT #

SVY LEVEL IntensiveSVY DATE 05/12/23

HAER NO. ID-HABS NO. ID-

AREA OF SIGNIF Agriculture AREA OF SIGNIF Exploration/Settlement

PROPERTY TYPE Site

ACRES 1

TOTAL # FEATURES 3

ASSOCIATED

FEATURES

Headgate, PVC pipe discharge, small concrete-line lateral

CIRCA1

CONDITION

WALL MATERIAL CONCRETE

ROOF MATERIAL

FOUND. MATERIAL

OTHER MATERIAL CONCRETE

Individually Eligible

Not Eligible

Contributing in a potential district Noncontributing

Multiple Property Study Not evaluated

Future eligibility

FUTURE ELIG DATE

COMMENTS The waterway was filled during the survey, but it was determined to be concrete lined on the east and west sides of Stoddard Road until the curve on the west side where the canal turns to head north-south. After the curve the canal is unlined. This segment of the Ridenbaugh Canal flows under the Stoddard Bridge #2085 via a concrete box culvert between Overland and E.

Victory roads approximately 0.15 miles north of E. Victory Road. This segment of the canal is approximately 380 feet long by 20

PHOTO# Digital

ARCHSTYLE PLAN

ORIGINAL USE Agriculture/Subsistence

CURRENT USE Agriculture/Subsistence

OTHERMAP

INITIALED ENTRY DATE

LESS THAN

PHOTOS

# OF PHOTOS

SLIDESNEGS

SITS#

DIST/MPLNAME1 DIST/MPLNAME2

CRITERIA CRITERIA CONSIDERATIONA B C D A B C D E F G

IHPR #

ACTDATE1 1877CONST/ACT1 Original Construction

CONST/ACT2 Significant Construction ACTDATE2 1891 CIRCA2

NPS CERT ACTIONDATE

IHSI# REF REV# REF

MS RPT# 1 MS RPT# 2SVY RPT# 1 SVY RPT# 2

******** FOR ISHPO USE ONLY ********

CS # NR REF# 2

SVY RPT# 3

NEGBOX#

ADD'L NOTES The UTMs listed above are for the west end of the canal segment recorded. UTM readings at the east end are: 548155 Easting/ 4825109 Northing. The Ridenbaugh Canal has also been recorded as Archaeological Site 10AA575.

# OF SLIDES

REVISE1 REVISE2 REVISE3

SHPO DETER DETER DATE

SUBMITTED SKETCH MAP

IH

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I#

S

IT

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IHSI# 01-19865

COUNTY CD 1 COUNTY NAME Ada

ATTACH

RESTRICT

MORE DATA

CURSUBUSE irrigation facility

ORIGSUBUSE irrigation facility

-1

IHSI# 01-19865

COUNTY NAME Ada

PROPERTY NAME Ridenbaugh Canal

FIELD#

IDAHO HISTORIC SITES INVENTORY FORM

COUNTY CD 1

OTHER NAME

CITY Meridian VICINITY

UTM REF2 UTM REF3 UTM REF4

OTHER MATERIAL2 EARTH SUB-SIGNIF AGENCYCERT Local

SIGNIFDATE 1877 SIGNIFPERIOD 1877-1917 SIGNIFPERSON

ARCH/BUILD ARCHPLANS TAXEASE TAXCERT

OWNERSHIP Public-Local PROPOWN ACHD

ATTACH

DOCSOURCE See references cited. Also reviewed GLO records, Ada County Assessor's records, historic USGS maps.

ADD'L NOTES The UTMs listed above are for the west end of the canal segment recorded. UTM readings at the east end are: 548155 Easting/ 4825109 Northing. The Ridenbaugh Canal has also been recorded as Archaeological Site 10AA575.

COMMENTS The waterway was filled during the survey, but it was determined to be concrete lined on the east and west sides of Stoddard Road until the curve on the west side where the canal turns to head north-south. After the curve the canal is unlined. This segment of the Ridenbaugh Canal flows under the Stoddard Bridge #2085 via a concrete box culvert between Overland and E.

Victory roads approximately 0.15 miles north of E. Victory Road. This segment of the canal is approximately 380 feet long by 20 to 25 feet wide and trends generally northwest. The canal is concrete lined in this segment and estimated to be between 3 and 4 feet deep. The canal was water filled during the survey. This segment is in excellent condition and its alignment has not been altered and there has been no change in materials at least since the Stoddard Bridge #2085 was reconstructed in 1993.

The canal is maintained annually during the irrigation season. Three features are associated with this segment of the Canal:

Feature 1 is a headgate on the south bank of the canal on the west side of Stoddard Road. Feature 2 is a PVC pipe that discharges into the canal on the west side of Stoddard Road. Feature 3 is a small concrete lined lateral running north-south through the center of the pasture on the Elliott property west of Stoddard Road.

The Ridenbaugh Canal was a small ditch diverting water out of the Boise River above Boise before it was excavated by the Isaac brothers for irrigation, milling, floating logs. and a distillery (ISHS n.d.). The Ridenbaugh would eventually provide

PHOTO LOG IHSI# REF INITIALED DATEENTERED

SKETCH IH

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I#

S

IT

S

R E

V

MORE DATA

PROPERTY NAME Ridenbaugh Canal

FIELD#

IDAHO HISTORIC SITES INVENTORY FORM

The waterway was filled during the survey, but it was determined to be concrete lined on the east and west sides of Stoddard Road until the curve on the west side where the canal turns to head north-south. After the curve the canal is unlined. This segment of the Ridenbaugh Canal flows under the Stoddard Bridge #2085 via a concrete box culvert between Overland and E. Victory roads approximately 0.15 miles north of E. Victory Road. This segment of the canal is approximately 380 feet long by 20 to 25 feet wide and trends generally northwest. The canal is concrete lined in this segment and estimated to be between 3 and 4 feet deep. The canal was water filled during the survey. This segment is in excellent condition and its alignment has not been altered and there has been no change in materials at least since the Stoddard Bridge #2085 was reconstructed in 1993. The canal is maintained annually during the irrigation season. Three features are associated with this segment of the Canal: Feature 1 is a headgate on the south bank of the canal on the west side of Stoddard Road. Feature 2 is a PVC pipe that discharges into the canal on the west side of Stoddard Road. Feature 3 is a small concrete lined lateral running north-south through the center of the pasture on the Elliott property west of Stoddard Road.

The Ridenbaugh Canal was a small ditch diverting water out of the Boise River above Boise before it was excavated by the Isaac brothers for irrigation, milling, floating logs. and a distillery (ISHS n.d.). The Ridenbaugh would eventually provide irrigation waters for Boise's south bench lands.

Major work on the canal began with William Morris’s construction on the Ridenbaugh Canal upstream from Boise City in 1877. Morris began by claiming 17,076 acres under the Desert Land Act and finding buyers to purchase the land from him so he could irrigate it. He also encouraged settlers to claim or purchase adjacent lands that would be irrigated under his new canal. Morris also hired local farm workers to construct the ditch providing even more local integration (ISHS n.d.). Mr. Morris passed away in 1878 and the ditch company was left to his widow (Lavinia Morris) and his nephew, William H. Ridenbaugh (Stevens 2015).

Ridenbaugh attempted to extend his uncle's canal but was unable to obtain the funding, eventually selling the canal in 1883.

The canal passed through several owners in the 1880s, none of whom succeeded in extending it further than the original 7 miles, until the Central Canal and Land Company (Central) purchased it in the spring of 1889. Central began construction immediately and by that winter had widened the canal and extended it 12 miles farther west of Boise. Despite the progress, Central sold the canal to the Boise City and Nampa Irrigation, Land, and Lumber Company (the Company) in April of 1890 (Stevens 2015; Buckendorf 2001).

By the end of 1891, the Company had created an impressive irrigation system, totaling 105 miles with the main canal and its laterals (Stevens 2015; Buckendorf 2001). The historical U.S. Geological Survey Boise quadrangle map from 1897 shows the Ridenbaugh Canal labeled as the "Nampa Land, Lumber, and Improvement Company Canal" (see attachments). By 1900 a total of 80,000 acres were available for irrigation under the Ridebaugh and over half of that acreage was under cultivation with 700 water users. Along with the Highline Canal and the New York Canal systems with their network of laterals and ditches developed between 1865 and 1904, the Ridenbaugh is among the earliest independently developed irrigation systems in the Boise Valley (Stevens 2015). The Ridenbaugh Canal diverts water from the Boise River at Diversion Dam and then trends southeast, crossing numerous transportation corridors to drain into the New York Canal just below Lake Lowell. It remains one of the core canals in the Boise Valley irrigation system and has been part of the Nampa Meridian Irrigation District since the Boise Project in 1915 (ISHS n.d.; Stevens 2015).

References Cited:

Buckendorf, Madeline 2001 Historic Rural Properties of Ada County, Idaho NRHP Multiple Property Documentation Form. Prepared by The Arrowrock Group, Inc., Boise, Idaho. October 15.

Idaho State Historical Society (ISHS) n.d. Reference Series No. 171. Early Irrigation Canals Pre-Project Ventures.

Stevens, Jennifer A., Ph.D.

2015 Water in the Boise Valley: A History of the Nampa & Meridian Irrigation District (Draft).

The Ridenbaugh Canal (01-19865) was originally documented in 2000 by Ozbun et al. during a fiber optic line project survey and given site number 10AA575 and Historic Site number 10AA575. It was recorded again at different locations in 2001 by Nick Petersen for ITD and later that year by Dale Gray during another ITD project. The site was recorded on several other occasions in 2007 by Bionomics for ITD projects and again in 2017 by Dale Gray for an EPA sewer project. The site was determined eligible for inclusion in the NRHP by the SHPO in 2007. The canal is eligible to the NRHP under Criterion A for its contributions to the settlement and irrigation history of the Boise Valley. Subsequent recordings have found the Ridebaugh Canal in good condition with its historic integrity retained and have recommended the site continue to be considered eligible for inclusion in the NRHP.

No reason was found to change the NRHP eligibility recommendation for the Ridenbaugh Canal as the segment within the APE has not been altered at least since the Stoddard Bridge #2085 was constructed in 1993 and the canal remains eligible for inclusion in the NRHP under Criterion A. The Ridenbaugh Canal segment recorded is in excellent condition and it retains six of the seven aspects of its historic integrity. The segment recorded retains historic integrity of location, design, workmanship, feeling, materials, and association. The historic integrity of setting has changed from rural to developed residential due to the encroachment of subdivisions and this has impacted the historic integrity of setting.

This segment of the canal is recommended Eligible as a contributing element of the overall Ridenbaugh Canal site (01- 19865/10AA575). WCE Inc.'s NRHP eligibility recommendations are based on previous recordings of the Ridenbaugh Canal, field observations, and background research. The canal is eligible to the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion

ATTACH

COMMENTS:

IH

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I#

S

IT

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R E

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PROPERTY NAME Ridenbaugh Canal

FIELD#

IDAHO HISTORIC SITES INVENTORY FORM

A for its contribution to broad patterns of settlement and irrigation in the Boise Valley. The canal has been part of the Nampa Meridian Irrigation District since the Boise Project in 1915.

Cultural Resources Inventory Report for Stoddard Bridge #2085 Project, Ada County, Idaho

ACHD Project #522029

June 29, 2023

Prepared for:

1100 W. Idaho St., Suite 210

Boise, Idaho 83702

3775 Adams St.

Boise, Idaho 83714

Prepared by:

3813 W. State St.

Boise, Idaho 83703

Kelly Mitchell, MA, Principal Investigator

Cultural Resources Inventory Report i Water, Civil, and Environmental Inc.

Stoddard Bridge Project #2085, ACHD Project #522029 May 12, 2023

ABSTRACT

Water, Civil, and Environmental Inc. (WCE Inc.) conducted a cultural resources inventory (CRI) of the Stoddard Bridge #2085 spanning Ridenbaugh Canal, which is proposed to be widened as part of the Ada County Highway District’s Project #522029 (the Project). The Project will improve motorist, pedestrian, and bicycle safety and accommodate future traffic volumes. The Stoddard Bridge #2085 Project’s Area of Potential Effects (APE) is based on 95 percent complete engineering plans provided by Kimley-Horn and includes all areas of ground disturbance associated with the Project totaling 1.2 acres.

The Project requires a joint permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Idaho Department of Water Resources, and the Idaho Department of Lands, which triggers Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Therefore, Kimley-Horn has requested WCE Inc. complete a Section 106-complaint CRI of the proposed bridge project area.

The CRI resulted in an update to the Ridenbaugh Canal historic cultural resource site and the recordation of a segment of the canal. The Ridenbaugh Canal is considered eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. No other cultural resources were recorded during the intensive pedestrian survey.

The majority of the APE is paved or residential and historically the entire area was agricultural for at least 100 years, which greatly decreases the chances of intact subsurface cultural resource deposits. Therefore, it is recommended that the Project proceed as planned as long as no changes are made to the alignment of the Ridenbaugh Canal.

CERTIFICATION OF RESULTS

I certify that this investigation was conducted and documented according to the Secretary of Interior's Standards and guidelines and that the report is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge.

May 12, 2023 Signature of Principal Investigator Date

Cultural Resources Inventory Report ii Water, Civil, and Environmental Inc.

Stoddard Bridge #2085 Project, ACHD Project #522029 May 12, 2023

KEY INFORMATION

Project Name: Cultural Resources Inventory Report for Stoddard Bridge #2085, Ada County, Idaho.

Project Number: Ada County Highway District (ACHD) Project #522029

Location: Ada County

USGS Quad.: Meridian

Legal Location of Survey: Township 3 North, Range 1 East, Section 24.

Project Area: 1.2 acres

Area Surveyed: 1.2 acres Acres Intensive: 1.2 Acres Reconnaissance: 0

Project Date: April 14, 2023

Authors: Kelly Mitchell, M.A., WCE Inc.

Federal Agency: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Report Prepared for: Kimley-Horn and ACHD

Repository: Water, Civil, and Environmental Inc., W. State St., Boise, Idaho 83703 – no collections

Principal Investigator: Kelly Mitchell

Date: May 12, 2023

Cultural Resources Inventory Report iii Water, Civil, and Environmental Inc.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................................. I CERTIFICATION OF RESULTS ............................................................................................................. I KEY INFORMATION .............................................................................................................................. II ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................................. IV

1.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION

1.1 Area of Potential Effects

2.0 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING

3.0 CULTURAL SETTING

3.1 Prehistory

3.2 History

3.2.1 The Village of Meridian

3.2.2 The Ridebaugh Canal

4.0 PRE-FIELD RESEARCH

4.1 Previously Conducted Cultural Resource Studies

4.2 Previously Recorded Cultural Resource Sites

4.3 Expected Cultural Resources

5.0 FIELD METHODOLOGY

6.0 RESULTS

6.1 Ridenbaugh Canal Site Description

6.1.1 NRHP Eligibility Analysis

6.2 Noted but Not Recorded

6.2.1 Elliott Parcel

7.0 MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

7.1 Determination of Effects

7.2 Avoidance, Minimization, or Mitigation Measures

8.0 CONCLUSIONS

9.0 REFERENCES

APPENDIX 1

APPENDIX 2

APPENDIX 3

TABLES

Table 1 – Previously Recorded Sites within the APE or One Mile of the APE Table 2 – Previously Conducted Surveys within the APE or One Mile of the APE

APPENDICES

Appendix 1 – Figures Appendix 2 – Photographs Appendix 3 – Site Form

Cultural Resources Inventory Report iv Water, Civil, and Environmental Inc.

ACRONYMS

ACHD Ada County Highway District APE Area of Potential Effects BLM Bureau of Land Management B.P. Before present

ca. Circa Central Central Canal and Land Company CLG Certified Local Government the Company Boise City and Nampa Irrigation, Land, and Lumber Company CRI Cultural resources inventory Bionomics Bionomics Environmental, Inc.

EPA Environmental Protection Agency FCC Federal Communications Commission Frontier Frontier Historical Consultants GLO General Land Office ISHS Idaho State Historical Society ITD Idaho Transportation Department NHPA National Historic Preservation Act NNR Noted but not recorded NRHP National Register of Historic Places the Project Stoddard Bridge #2085 Project SHPO State Historic Preservation Office(r) SWPPP Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan TAG TAG Historical Research and Consulting USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers USBR U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (formerly U.S. Reclamation Service) USGS U.S. Geological Survey WCE Inc. Water, Civil, and Environmental Inc.

Cultural Resources Inventory Report 1 Water, Civil, and Environmental Inc.

Stoddard Bridge #2085 Project, ACHD Project #5222029 May 12, 2023

1.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Water, Civil, and Environmental Inc. (WCE Inc.) conducted a cultural resources inventory (CRI) for Kimley-Horn for the Stoddard Bridge #2085 Bridge Project (the Project), which is part of Ada County Highway District (ACHD) project #522029. The Project involves widening the Stoddard Bridge #2085 in Ada County, Idaho (Figure 1). According to 95 percent complete engineering drawings, the bridge will be widened to accommodate three lanes – one in each direction with a median and center turn pockets, a new crosswalk light to the north of the Ridenbaugh Canal will be added, and the center median will be extend to add pedestrian and cyclist protection at a mid-block crossing (Figure 2). The Project is within the city of Meridian on S. Stoddard Road in Section 24 of Township 3 North, Range 1 East. This area is residential with large properties (over one acre) on the west side of the road and more densely built newer subdivisions on the east side of the road (Photos 1 and 2). Figures are included as Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 contains project photographs.

This CRI was conducted because the Project requires a joint permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Idaho Department of Water Resources, and the Idaho Department of Lands, which triggers Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and WCE Inc. was chosen to conduct Section 106 clearance for the Project. The construction will cause moderate amounts of ground disturbance with the potential to impact cultural resources within the Area of Potential Effects (APE). Direct impacts are generally physical alterations, removal of historic properties, or visual intrusions. Indirect impacts include construction noise and dust.

1.1 Area of Potential Effects

The APE includes the construction area (approximately 1.2 acres in size). The APE was determined based on the design of the proposed bridge widening and the fact that the indirect effects, such as construction noise and dust, will be short-term (three months) and temporary. The APE is bound by S. Silvertip Drive at the Bear Creek subdivision to the south, a point approximately 105 feet north of S. Silvertip Drive, W.

Seasonal Creek Lane to the west, and a point approximately 35 feet east of Stoddard Road (Figure 3).

The APE includes a small portion of the Elliott property (2875 S. Stoddard Road) where a new fence will be installed to separate the property boundary from Stoddard Road in an ACHD 3,155 square foot easement area (see Figures 2 and 3). The Elliott property includes a 1930 residence (remodeled in 1971) and three or four outbuildings located north of the easement area to be fenced; however, none of the buildings or structures on the Elliott property will be impacted. The closest extant above-ground historic properties are farmstead sites 01-19794 and 01-19795 located south of the Ridenbaugh Canal and approximately 610 feet south of the APE along E. Victory Road. The Project will not cause changes to the viewshed as the new bridge will be similar in portion to the current bridge. The Ridenbaugh Canal alignment will not be altered, and the canal will continue to be free-flowing except right under the bridge where it will flow through a large culvert similar to the one it currently flows through.

2.0 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING

The project area is located in the Snake River Plain between the Boise River and the Snake River in southwestern Idaho approximately 2.3 miles from downtown Meridian along the Ridenbaugh Canal. The APE is within the Boise River floodplain approximately one mile north of the river. Topography in the APE is characterized by a flat river terrace with an elevation of 2,650 feet above mean sea level throughout. The project area is on a paved road adjacent to subdivisions with lawns, fencing, and a walking path on the east side and larger lots along a private lane on the west side with a row of low juniper shrubs along a chainlink fence separating the canal from the lane (see Photo 2).

Cultural Resources Inventory Report 2 Water, Civil, and Environmental Inc.

Soils are light to mid-brown and consist of Pipeline silt loam on 4 to 8 percent slopes. These soils are formed on stream terraces and are derived from silty alluvium and/or loess overlain with sandy alluvium.

Pipeline soils generally become cemented at 19 to 33 inches below the ground surface, followed by gravely sand (Natural Resources Conservation Service 2023).

Vegetation has been cleared along the canal banks though some tall grasses and various dried forbs were noted, particularly along the south bank. On the west side of the road, along the bank where the canal is unlined there is a thick matted layer of tall grasses (Photo 3). The small strip of pasture on the Elliott property (the easement area) included various low grasses and a small ditch running generally north-south through the center of the parcel (Photo 4).

3.0 CULTURAL SETTING

3.1 Prehistory

The APE has been home to Native American groups for over 12,000 years. Archaeologist B. Robert Butler (1978) has combined local cultural phases from a variety of cave and rockshelter excavations in the Upper Snake and Salmon River areas to assemble a regional chronology comprised of three periods dating from 14,000 years before present (B.P.) to historic contact. Butler views the Snake River Region as an interface between major physiographic regions of the Plains and the Intermountain regions (Butler, 1986). The Boise Basin falls within this region because it is within the Snake River Valley. As a transitional region, it has been subject to shifting cultural affiliations over time. In a general sense, Butler's chronology proposes increasing complexity in settlement and subsistence procurement through time. Nomadic cultures initiate this chronology, which is then followed by big game hunting affiliations. Small foraging groups continue during the Archaic Period until the addition of more sedentary collectors associated with Fremont and late Shoshone groups that were encountered in the historic period. In the Boise Basin, there has been limited archaeological work conducted and though rockshelters have been identified at the bases of the basalt cliffs along the Boise River, most have not been excavated.

These rockshelters and other prehistoric sites were primarily recorded in the late 1970s and the early 1980s by Michael Ostrogorsky and Mark Plew for the Boise River Drainage Archaeological Survey (Ostrogorsky and Plew 1979). That survey report discusses the presence of the Boise Shoshone during the historic period as having campsites and meeting places near the Boise River corridor (Ostrogorsky and Plew 1979). Clovis fluted points represent the earliest evidence of human occupation in the region. These were identified in the eastern Snake River Plain and buried deposits below Twin Falls, Idaho. Clovis points found elsewhere often date between 12,000 and 11,000 years B.P. Therefore, we can assume these early points date to the same period. Folsom and Plano points are relatively abundant and widespread in the Upper Snake River region.

Like their Clovis predecessors, Folsom and Plano cultures are part of the early big game hunting traditions when inhabitants hunted now-extinct megafauna.

The big game hunting tradition was followed by the Archaic Period (7,800-1,450 B.P.), which is typically characterized by small, foraging groups that seasonally exploited modern flora and fauna. The recovery of numerous basket containers and trays, hand stones, and milling slabs from Archaic sites also indicate that plant processing was a primary subsistence activity. Eventually, these groups became more sedentary as is evidenced by large, semi-subterranean houses at Givens Hot Springs, southwest of Nampa, Idaho. Archaic period settlement is limited to small clusters, often of only two to three houses. Large villages have not been associated with this period. Thomas (1981) recognizes five cultural series based on projectile point technology within the Archaic Period including the Pinto Series, Humboldt Series, Large Side-Notched Series, Elko Series, and Gatecliff Series.

The Late Period (1,450-150 B.P.) succeeded the Archaic traditions and is characterized by more sedentary occupations and the introduction of ceramics. There is some controversy over the cultural affiliation of

Cultural Resources Inventory Report 3 Water, Civil, and Environmental Inc.

groups in the region, particularly concerning the Fremont and Shoshone cultures. While some dispute the extent of the Fremont occupation in the Snake River Region (Plew 1980), Butler suggests evidence exists for a Fremont occupation perhaps beginning as early as 1,450 B.P. However, definitively dated Salt Lake Grayware pottery samples (the most common indicator of Fremont occupations according to Butler) are substantially more recent at 425 B.P. Madsen (1975) has speculated that Fremont Culture may have survived longer in Idaho than it did further south in Utah. Still, there is little evidence of Fremont culture after circa (ca.) 500 B.P.

Shoshone occupations date to the early 1800s; however, there is evidence that suggests the culture moved into the area as early as 500 B.P. The principal Shoshonean occupation in the Great Basin is thought to have begun approximately 250 years ago after they had been displaced from traditional northern territories by the Blackfoot (Hoffert 1998). The termination of the Fremont Culture in the Snake River Region and the emergence of the Shoshone remains a subject of wide interest within continuing research theories.

Thomas (1981) identifies two projectile point series within the Late Period: the Rosegate Series and the Desert Series. The small Desert Series indicates the introduction of the bow and arrow in the Great Basin.

The Desert Series replaced the Rosegate Series ca. 950 B.P. and is comprised of three separate projectile point types including Desert Side-Notched, Cottonwood Triangular, and Cottonwood Leaf Shaped (Hoffert 1998).

Important excavations and associated reports have been completed in the region and include work at the Wasden Site (Butler 1978, Miller 1982), Weston Canyon Rockshelter (Miller 1972), the Wahmuza Site (Holmer 1986), and Diversion Dam Cave (Yohe and Rogers 2002). Evidence documented in these investigations indicates prehistoric occupations starting with Clovis (12,000 B.P. to 11,000 B.P.), Folsom (11,000 B.P. to 10,600 B.P.), and Plano (10,600 B.P. to 7,800 B.P.) through the Archaic Period (7,800 to1,450 B.P.) and the Late Period (1,450 to 150 B.P.).

The Wasden Site (consisting of Owl Cave, Coyote Cave, and Dry Cat Cave) is located in collapsed lava tubes on the Snake River Plain. Of the three caves, only Owl Cave has been extensively excavated. From these excavations, bison, mammoth, and camel bone fragments along with fluted points have been recovered. These discoveries, based on the time of occupation, are assumed to be Folsom (Lohse 1993).

Also noted at the Wasden Site is evidence from the Plano Period. Evidence from this period consists of Late Plano Period kills of ancient bison (B. antiquus) that date to 8,000 B.P. The discovery consisted of skeletons of more than 70 bulls, cows, and calves. Evidence indicated that two separate kills were involved, one before calving season, and one after (Lohse 1993).

In the early 2000s, Robert Yohe II and Alexander Rogers excavated the Diversion Dam Cave (10AA99) located approximately 1.5 miles upstream of Barber Dam near Boise. Though no diagnostic artifacts were found the site has evidence of human occupation including hearth features, river cobbles with pecking damage, polished rocks, and small to medium-sized mammal and fish remains. Radiocarbon dates were obtained dating the cave site to between 12,000 and 9,200 B.P., which places it in the Paleoindian Period (Yohe and Rogers 2006).

3.2 History

By 1864, all land near the Boise River that could be irrigated by direct diversion was claimed, while a few ranches were scattered along the tributary creeks including Dry Creek, Ten Mile Creek, and Fifteen Mile Creek. Diversified farming practices, such as dry farming and stock raising, were used to supply produce and livestock to the mining camps that had come to the Boise Valley in the 1860s (Murphy 1953;

Buckendorf 2001). Examples of the early crops grown in Ada County to feed miners and their pack animals included various green vegetables, potatoes, onions, grain, small fruits, and hay (Buckendorf 2001).

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At first, transporting goods and people was via pack trails and stagecoach lines. Stage stops soon developed with one near present-day Kuna (Ten Mile Station) and one five miles further west (Fifteen Mile Station).

Wagon and toll roads developed a bit later and by the early 1880s railroads began replacing the stage and freight wagon routes leading from the mines to supply locations such as Boise and Nampa. The Oregon Short Line Railroad reached the Fifteen Mile Station in 1883 though wagons were still used until the railroad connected Boise City to Nampa. From 1883 to 1887, freight wagons from Ten Mile Station transported all the supplies to and from Boise City, Silver City, Idaho City, and Placerville (Buckendorf 2001).

3.2.1 The Village of Meridian

Meridian, Idaho was first a small mail drop called Hunter along the route of the Idaho Central Railroad stub line beginning in ca. 1886. In addition to mail, the rail service at the Hunter (early Meridian) depot served freight and passengers in the early 1900s. The Idaho Central Railroad was bought out by Union Pacific in 1889. After 1900, the area grew in population as agriculture expanded in the area, replacing sagebrush-covered semi-arid land. Eventually, in 1893 Meridian was established and by 1903 it was incorporated as the village of Meridian with a population of 200 (Humphreys 2006). The economy continued to focus on agriculture with a large dairy industry, fruit orchards, and various row crops. Agriculture was only possible via irrigation, as this area receives less than 10 inches of precipitation per year. The first ditches were hand-dug by the early settlers using primitive tools and horses. By the 1890s, the Ridenbaugh Canal and Settlers Ditch project provided irrigation water, which eventually was diverted into an expanding network of canals to provide irrigation to the south and west of Meridian (Thomason and Peterson 2010).

Today the City of Meridian has a population close to 120,000 and is one of the fastest-growing cities in Idaho (City of Meridian Web page 2023).

3.2.2 The Ridebaugh Canal

The Ridenbaugh Canal was a small ditch diverting water out of the Boise River above the townsite for Boise before it was excavated by the Isaac brothers for irrigation, milling, floating logs, and a distillery (Idaho State Historical Society [ISHS]). The Ridenbaugh would eventually provide irrigation waters for Boise's south bench lands.

William Morris began construction on the Ridenbaugh Canal upstream from Boise City in 1877. Morris began by claiming 17,076 acres under the Desert Land Act and finding buyers to purchase the land from him so he could irrigate it. He also encouraged settlers to claim or purchase adjacent lands that would be irrigated under his new canal. Morris also hired local farm workers to construct the ditch providing even more local integration (ISHS n.d.). Mr. Morris passed away in 1878 and the ditch company was left to his widow (Lavinia Morris) and his nephew, William H. Ridenbaugh (Stevens 2015).

Ridenbaugh attempted to extend his uncle's canal but was unable to obtain the funding, eventually selling the canal in 1883. The canal passed through several owners in the 1880s, none of whom succeeded in extending it further than the original 7 miles, until the Central Canal and Land Company (Central) purchased it in the spring of 1889. Central began construction immediately and by that winter had widened the canal and extended it 12 miles farther west of Boise. Despite the progress, Central sold the canal to the Boise City and Nampa Irrigation, Land, and Lumber Company (the Company) in April of 1890. By the end of 1891, the Company had created an impressive irrigation system, totaling 105 miles with the main canal and its laterals (Stevens 2015; Buckendorf 2001). Figure 4 is a section of the 1897 Boise quadrangle map with the Ridenbaugh Canal labeled as the "Nampa Land, Lumber, and Improvement Company Canal." This map also shows the Union Pacific Railroad (Boise Branch) to the north and the Oregon Short Line Railroad to the southwest. By 1900 a total of 80,000 acres were available for irrigation under the Ridebaugh and over half of that acreage was under cultivation with 700 water users. The Ridenbaugh is now managed by

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the Nampa Meridian Irrigation District and remains one of the core canals in the Boise Valley irrigation system (ISHS n.d.).

4.0 PRE-FIELD RESEARCH

Idaho records search (#23251) was received from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) on April 13, 2023. The records search covered the project areas and one-mile buffers for both the Locust Grove Bridge (#1207) and the Stoddard Bridge (#2085) projects. The records search indicated that 57 cultural resources studies or CRIs had previously been conducted within the APEs or 1 mile of the APEs of the two ACHD bridge projects resulting in the recordation of 35 cultural resource sites and 1 historic district.

None of the previously conducted CRIs occurred within the current Project’s APE; however, 30 are within 1 mile of the Project APE (Table 1). Seventeen of the 36 previously recorded cultural resources (35 sites and 1 district) are within 1 mile of the APE and 1 (the Ridenbaugh Canal [01-19865]) is within the APE (Table 2).

Other sources of information reviewed for the pre-field research included the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) online database for Ada County, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) General Land Office (GLO) records for patents and plat maps, historic U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) maps, the Ada County Assessor's Web Map, and the Idaho State Archives. The Assessor’s Web Map provided additional information about the Elliott parcel. No construction is planned in this easement area and none of the structures or buildings on the Elliott parcel will be affected.

4.1 Previously Conducted Cultural Resource Studies

The 43 CRIs conducted within 1 mile of the APE were intensive inventories for road, irrigation, and pipeline projects or smaller inventories for gravel pits, cell towers, or subdivisions. A few reconnaissance surveys were also conducted for Ada County or the Meridian Certified Local Government (CLG) of farmsteads, houses, or irrigation development. A majority of the projects were conducted in the 2000s with 26 conducted within the last 10 years; therefore, the standards of the surveys were on par with the current standards (see Table 1). None of the 43 CRIs were conducted within the APE. However, two were conducted directly adjacent to the APE (see report numbers 2014/37 and 2018/417 in Table 1 below).

Table 1. Previously Conducted CRIs within the APE or 1 Mile of the APE

Report Number

Report Date

Report Title Author/Agency Notes

Location in

Relation to the

APE

1989/5338 1987 PSR Meridian Interchange North Ramp

Petersen/Idaho Transportation Department (ITD)

Outside

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Report Number

Report Date

Report Title Author/Agency Notes

Location in

Relation to the

APE

1992/718 An Historical Overview of the Pan Alberta Natural Gas Pipeline Looping Route in Oregon and Idaho.

Western Cultural Resources Management, Inc.

Outside

1994/538 ProMed Facility Building, Meridian, Ada County, Idaho

Statham, William Outside

2000/22 1999 Meridian Park and Ride

Gaston/ITD Outside

2000/1033 Nampa-Meridian Irrigation District Proposed Fee Title and Rights-of-Way Transfer; Ada and Canyon Counties, Idaho

Ogden Environmental and Energy Services/U.S.

Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)

Outside

2007/137 2006 I-84, Garrity Interchange to Meridian Interchange

Bionomics Environmental, Inc., Boise, Idaho (Bionomics)/ITD

Outside

2007/836 2006 Ten Mile Road Interchange

Bionomics/ITD Outside

2008/222 Meridian Maintenance Site (AD-175s)

Everhart/ITD Outside

2008/522 2008 I-84 Karcher Interchange to Five Mile Environmental Study

Bionomics/ITD Outside

2008/523 2008 Southridge Stage and Material Source

Frontier Historical Consultants (Frontier)/ITD

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Report Number

Report Date

Report Title Author/Agency Notes

Location in

Relation to the

APE

2008/538 2008 South Meridian Cellular Tower

TAG Historical Research and Consulting (TAG)/Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Outside

2008/784 2007 Ten Mile and Victory Material Source

Frontier/ITD Outside

2009/357 2009 Southridge Material Source II

Frontier/ITD Outside

2010/242 2010 Southridge Material Source III

Frontier/ITD Outside

2010/512 2010 Ten Mile Road Crossing, Ada County

Entrix, Inc./FCC Outside

2012/444 2011 Amity Road Bridge #299 Project #209008

Perry Bauer, Barbara/ACHD

Outside

2012/522 2012 T-Mobile West, #SL06113, Meridian Call Center

Jerrems, Jeremy Outside

2013/531 Reflection Ridge Subdivision Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), Meridian, Idaho

Dale Gray/Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA)

Outside

2014/357 2014 Fall Creek Subdivision SWPPP, Meridian, Idaho

Perry Bauer, Barbara/EPA

Outside

2016/238 2016 Kentucky Ridge Estates No.

4/Biltmore Estates

Gray, Dale/EPA Outside

2016/484 2016 Class III CRI for the Verizon Wireless BOI Majestic Communications Tower, Ada County Idaho

Santarone, Paul/FCC Outside

2018/211 2008 Survey of Rural Properties in Ada County. Prepared for Ada County Historic

TAG/Ada County

CLG

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Report Number

Report Date

Report Title Author/Agency Notes

Location in

Relation to the

APE

Preservation Commission

2018/214 2007 2007 City of Meridian Impact Area Re-Survey

Madeline Buckendorf/Meridian

CLG

Outside

2018/414 Class III CRI and Visual Impact Assessment for the Roaring Walowes – A Communication Facility Project

Santarone, Paul/FCC Outside

2018/417 Ada County Historic Sites Inventory Phase II. Prepared for Ada County Historic Preservation Council

The Arrowrock Group, Inc./Ada County CLG

Recorded 01- 19792, 01- 19794, 01- 10795

Outside

2018/629 Cultural Resources Survey of Three Proposed Canal Easement Exchange Projects in Southwest Boise: Boise Project, Ada County, Idaho

Huang, Jennifer/USBR

Recorded Sundell Lateral, Grimmett Lateral, and Beasley Lateral

Outside

2018/835 2018 Archaeological and Historic Survey Report: Spanish Sun ID4302 Monopine Tower

Jerrems, Jeremy/FCC Outside

2019/494 A Study of Irrigation and the Development of Ada County Historic Preservation Commission

Belinda Davis/Ada County CLG

Outside

2020/194 2020 State Highway 16 I- 84 US 20/26 & State Highway 44 Interchange

TAG /ITD Outside

2020/616 2019 Historic Survey of Roads in Idaho’s State Highway System Vol. I:

Historic Context and Vol. 2: Application of the NRHP Criteria for Evaluation

Mead & Hunt Not a CRI, a historic context only

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4.2 Previously Recorded Cultural Resource Sites

One of the 17 previously recorded cultural resources (the Ridenbaugh Canal) is within 1 mile of the APE (Table 2). The Ridenbaugh Canal is a historic property determined eligible for inclusion in the NRHP by the Idaho SHPO in 2007. Therefore, it will be updated during the fieldwork.

Table 2. Previously Recorded Sites within the APE or 1 Mile of the APE

Site Number

Site Description

NRHP

Eligibility Date

Recorded

Location in Relation to the

APE

01-15244 House - Linder Road Unevaluated Unknown Outside 01-15952 Sundell Lateral Lava Rock Check Unevaluated Unknown Outside 01-19793 Jim Coble Farmstead (non-extant) Eligible 2005 Outside 01-19794 Wolfe/Felts/Merle & Laverne

Hansen Farmstead Eligible 2000 Outside

01-19795 835 W. Victory Road Farmstead Eligible 2000 Outside 01-19796 Frank Baldwin/Steven Mortensen

Farmstead Eligible 2000 Outside

01-19797 Stanley Jackson/Harold Stanford Farmstead

Eligible 2000 Outside

01-19799 Harry Reimann Farmstead Eligible 2014 Outside 01-19800 Stoddard Farms Homestead Not Eligible 2014 Outside 01-19811 O. Haga/Doris Frost Homestead Eligible 2000 Outside 01-19865 Ridenbaugh Canal Eligible 2016 Inside 01-19878 Kennedy Lateral Canal Eligible 2020 Outside 01-21913 Ten Mile Creek Drain Eligible 2019 Outside 01-23182 Calkins Lateral Eligible 2018 Outside 01-23349 Sundell Lateral Eligible 2019 Outside 01-23377 Carlson Lateral Not Eligible 2017 Outside 01-25128 Victory Road Not Eligible 2020 Outside

4.3 Expected Cultural Resources

According to a search of the GLO patents and plats, the western half of the APE is within the area patented in 1901 for the Turley homestead and the eastern half is within the McGuire homestead area patented in 1891 (BLM GLO Patent Nos. 1340 and 1741).

The previously recorded cultural resources in the vicinity are summarized in Table 2 and include segments of several irrigation features such as canals, drains, and laterals, along with road segments, houses, and farmsteads. These sites provide valuable information related to the historic themes of irrigation, agriculture, and early transportation routes in Idaho. No prehistoric sites have been recorded within the APE or its one-mile buffer area. The APE is in a developed area of Meridian, which was previously under cultivation for over 100 years as a timber culture farm (likely planted in fruit trees). Therefore, intact subsurface prehistoric sites are not expected.