Abstract
Off the Pacific Coast of North America, rising post-glacial sea levels have submerged a vast paleolandscape that likely contains submerged terrestrial archaeological resources. In a cooperative agreement between San Diego State University (SDSU) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and in collaboration with a variety of academic institutions and governmental agencies, the scientific team undertook a project to explore submerged geological landforms using terrestrial analogs, paleoshoreline mapping, sediment coring, ground-truthing techniques, and biological assessments. This project was conducted along California’s Northern Channel Islands (NCI) and off the central Oregon coast and targeted submerged landforms that could contain cultural resources. These data have been used to build a predictive model identifying the most likely locations where pre-contact submerged geological landforms, archaeological sites, and traditional cultural properties might be found and preserved along the Pacific outer continental shelf (POCS). This report is the latest in a series of similar baseline reports that evaluate the archaeological potential of the POCS and other regions managed by BOEM. For this study, the scientific team focused on nearshore environments off California and Oregon and identified the most likely locations where submerged pre-contact archaeological sites and traditional cultural properties might be subject to direct or indirect impacts resulting from offshore development.
The results of this study will be used in the evaluation of future exploration, development, and transportation plans for offshore energy projects. The identification of significant archaeological sites, traditional cultural properties, and culturally sensitive submerged landforms will assist BOEM in determining specific resources or areas of sensitivity that offshore development could directly or indirectly impact.
As a critical part of this project and within the appropriate study areas, the scientific team regularly consulted, both formally and informally, with Chumash Tribal members, the Elders Council for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians (SYBCI), the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, and the Tribal Historic Preservation Offices and cultural staff from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, the Coquille Indian Tribe, and the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians (CTCLUSI). Prior to any fieldwork or model building, the scientific team also conducted information sharing and collaboration meetings with the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS), Channel Islands National Park (CINP), the National Park Service Submerged Resources Center (SRC), the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Exploration and Research. These consultation and collaboration meetings were critical to integrate local and regional knowledge, build partnerships with agency scientists and local stakeholders, and develop avenues for collaboration.
The project produced a large dataset of high-resolution Compressed High-Intensity Radiated Pulse (chirp) and side-scan sonar imagery, sediment cores, and a geographic information system (GIS) model to predict and test where submerged landform features and critical modern biological resources might be located and preserved in offshore environments along the POCS. Ultimately, the project refines best practices to identify and avoid potential impacts on biological resources, intact paleolandforms, and paleontological resources from offshore energy development on the outer continental shelf (OCS).