Appendix A Historic Property Survey Report

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ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY REPORT FAIRVIEW STREET IMPROVEMENTS FROM 9TH STREET TO 16TH STREET AND JUNE 2019 BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA BACKGROUND The natural setting of the project vicinity is presented based on the underlying theoretical assumption that humans interact constantly with their physical environment. As part of the ecosystem, humans respond to the limits imposed by the environment through technological and behavioral adaptations. The location of archaeological sites is based on the constraints of these interactions, whether it is proximity to necessary resources, topographical restrictions, or based on a need for shelter and protection. Sites will be located and contain an assemblage of artifacts and ecofacts consistent with this interaction. ENVIRONMENT The project lies in the central portion of Orange County, 9 miles northeast of the Pacific Ocean's coast at Huntington Beach. The natural surface geology of the APE is recent Holocene colluvium and alluvium, less than 10,000 years old (Morton and Miller 1981). The APE lies at an elevation of 88 to 98 feet and is within what was once part of the riparian woodland and coastal sage scrub (CSS) vegetative communities (Jaeger and Smith 1966:43-44). The climate of Southern California is the product of cold ocean water and warm air, a combination of maritime and Mediterranean climates. The maritime influence causes a persistent marine layer resulting in haze or fog —and even smog —when a multitude of motorized vehicles runs under these climatic conditions. The Mediterranean climate is characterized by long, hot summers and relatively mild winters with moderate precipitation, including snow at upper elevations (Jaeger and Smith 1971:18-19; Schoenherr 1992:313). During summer, Southern California often exhibits high atmospheric pressure that prevents cloud formation and precipitation except for the occasional tropical storm from the south (Schoenherr 1992:316). Winter storms generally come from the northwest. Coastal Orange County annually averages 12 inches of rain (Beck and Haase 1974:5). Winter rain is followed by spring fogs giving way to summer haze and smog. The average minimum January temperature for the coastal Orange County region is 45 degrees Fahrenheit (°F), while the average high temperature in July is 740F (Beck and Haase 1974:6-7). Summer temperatures are often in the 80s and 90s. Fall brings Santa Ana winds that blow from the California deserts to the coast. These winds increase in temperature from compression as they blow from higher desert elevations toward lower coastal elevations. The term Southern California refers to the southwestern portion of the State where rapid urbanizing is covering coastal lowlands. The word cismontane means "this side of the mountain," and the cismontane area of Southern California describes the coastal side of the Transverse and Peninsular Ranges, specifically the alluvial outwash that includes most of Los Angeles and Orange counties (Schoenherr 1992:313). Southern California's most common vegetative communities are scrub vegetation known as CSS and chaparral, which denote habitat characterized by dense stands of brush. Scrub vegetation occurs throughout the world in regions containing a Mediterranean climate (Schoenherr 1992:313). Within the APE located in central Orange County, the principal vegetation was originally coastal sagebrush, which occurs below elevations of 3,000 feet, usually below chaparral (Beck and Haase 1974:8). During summer and fall months, coincident with Santa Ana winds, scrub becomes extremely dry and susceptible to fire. Over millennia, the chaparral and CSS Q:\WKE1702\Cu1tural\ASR\ASR 2019 OS-21.docx (06/03/19) 10