3.5 Cultural Resources
CULTURAL RESOURCES
3.5
Cultural resources are prehistoric and historic period sites structures, objects, districts, or other places with
evidence of human activity that are considered significant to a community, culture, or ethnic group.
Significant cultural resources are referred to as historic properties under federal law and meet one or more
criteria for eligibility for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Under CEQA,
important or significant resources are those that meet one or more of the evaluation criteria for the
California Register of Historic Places.
Cultural resource investigations for the Regional Beach Sand Project were directed at assessing the effects
of the proposed undertaking on significant cultural resources, as mandated under the National Historic
Preservation Act (NHPA) and CEQA, and their implementing regulations and guidelines. The area of
potential effect (APE) for cultural resources encompasses the proposed offshore borrow sites and
associated anchor zones, along with the sand transport corridor, and receiver sites. This section provides
a summary of the cultural resources potential of the various project features based on a review of archival
literature (including shipwreck data bases, government baseline studies, and historic charts), informant
interviews, as well as study of geophysical survey and sediment core data. It also provides a brief overview
of the prehistoric and historic cultural setting, particularly underwater resources. The complete technical
report is provided as Appendix E (bound separately).
Background
Near Surface Geology
During the past 20,000 years the earth has experienced a glacial retreat, with an accompanying rise in sea
level. At 10,000 before present (B.P.) the global sea level averaged about 100 feet below the present
shoreline. The gradual rate of sea level rise from 10,000-5,000 B.P. may have produced many estuaries
and coastal lagoons. Present-day sea level was attained by about 3,000 B.P., allowing sedimentation to
nearly completely fill the previous coastal bays and lagoons.
Prehistoric Cultural Setting
Most archaeologists generally agree that manifestations of three major prehistoric cultural traditions exist
in San Diego: the San Dieguito Complex (a Paleo-Indian tradition); the La Jolla Complex (a regional
expression of the Milling Stone Horizon); and the Late Prehistoric Complex, designated as Yuman
Regional Beach Sand Project EIR/EA
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