Section 106 of the NHPA | Carnation, King County, WA

CRC completed a cultural resources assessment in Carnation, King County, Washington prior to ground disturbing activities for the SR 203/Tolt Avenue Central Business District Improvements project funded in part by the FHWA. Research methods included background research, tribal communication, and field investigations. Background research revealed that numerous historic structures had been recorded in the historic downtown of Carnation with many of the historic commercial buildings located along the segment of Tolt Avenue adjacent to the project location. These structures are all located outside of the project boundary and have not been formally evaluated for listing on historic registers. No physical effects will occur to these structures and visual alterations as result of the project are anticipated to be minimal.

The project is located within a high probability area for archaeological deposits and is in proximity to numerous locally recorded archaeological sites and ethnographically named places. Significant (i.e. intact) deposits could be potentially present in undisturbed native sediments throughout the horizontal and vertical limits of the project. In March and April 2018, CRC monitored the excavation of three geotechnical test pits and in July and August 2018, completed the excavation of 17 shovel probes; all were negative for archaeological deposits and observed sediments were consistent with the locally mapped alluvial soils below fill material.

Based on the high probability location of the project and potential for the project to encounter intact and possibly artifact-bearing sediments, CRC recommended archaeological monitoring for ground disturbance. A preliminary archaeological monitoring and inadvertent discovery protocol was provided to the client highlighting locations and depths of proposed monitoring and protocols to be followed per agency requirements. It was recommended this plan be finalized once a final design plan was complete and the project specific actions requiring monitoring could be identified.