4.5 Cultural Resources
During project design, every effort has been made to locate the dredge areas to avoid high probability
locations to the maximum extent possible; however, the dredge area location is driven by numerous factors
including sand quantity, biological resources (i.e., avoiding reefs) and engineering considerations (i.e.,
avoiding ocean outfalls). Additionally, in the underwater environment within which prehistoric resources
may be located it is extremely difficult to apply the typical terrestrial methodology of surveys for resources,
testing to determine significance, data recovery and/or site avoidance. Therefore, when determining
potential for occurrence of prehistoric materials, a conservative conclusion has been provided.
To avoid potentially significant impacts, a monitoring program has been defined in Section 2.5 that would
be implemented prior to, and during, the dredge. As part of that program, verification of potential historic
resources would be undertaken at SO-9, MB-1 and SS-1 using divers, ROV's and/or supplementary side
scan sonar. Any substantial historic resources would be avoided and a buffer defined to avoid potential
indirect impacts. Monitoring would be instituted as material is dredged from each borrow site. If
monitoring identifies substantial artifacts suggesting that dredging had entered into an archaeological site,
then the dredging operation would be permanently relocated awayfromthat site and a 250-foot wide buffer
would be established around the site. The location of the site would be recorded for the appropriate
clearinghouse.
Mitigation Measures for Alternative 1a
As described in Section 2.5, a monitoring program would be implemented prior to and during the dredge
operation to verify no dredging impacts to underwater archaeological resources (historic or prehistoric).
If sites are identified, they would be recorded and avoided. No further measures would be necessary.
Impacts/Mitigation Measures for Alternative 1b
This alternative's impacts would be similar to Alternative 1a, and no significant impacts would occur. No
mitigation measures would be necessary.
Regional Beach Sand Project EIR/EA
Page 4.5-3
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