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Show .lore study requested on j Mill Creek archaeological i sites; project delay seen ! Interest of a federal agency in the possible significance of seven appafent archaeological sites in the I proposed Mill Creek j Project reservoir site and diversion tunnel, may delay the issuance of BLM permits to begin construction, it was announced Tuesday by K. E McDougald, chairman of the Grand ywrty Water Conservancy Dis- j tnct. ! Mu McDougald stated that the Moab Area Resource Office of the Bureau of Land Management had received a letter from Lewis Wall j assistant director of the office of review and compliance, Denver I Regional Office,, of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, I asking that the BLM hold up issuance of the permits for construction until the sites had J been more thoroughly studied. I Mr. McDougald stated that state historic preservation official, Wil- son Martin, would meet soon with I Moab BLM officials and others, to I determine if the sites contain J enough significant material to j warrant changes in plans concern-, concern-, mg the project. That meeting could I result in a go-ahead for the project, or it could delay construction - i pending more detailed study and planning, Mr. McDougald stated. j The seven sites in the vicinity of Flat Pass in upper Spanish Valley, I were identified by Lloyd Pierson, I Moab archaelogical consultant, j when he did a Cultural Resource Survey for the Grand County Water Conservancy District. The sites were not considered, initially, to be I of any real significance, although I both the District and the BLM people involved noted their exist- J ance. ' Mr. McDougald stated that only four of the sites might possibly be impacted by the project. Two, he I said, are in the vicinity of the I reservoir site in Spanish Valley, ' and appear to be Anasazi chipping j grounds, due to a large amount of broken flint in the area. Another site is at the base of the road leading over Flat Pass ; the fourth is I near the Sheley Diversion tunnel I entrance into Mill Creek Canyon, and appears to be a darkened area j in the sand which might have been a campfire site. Earlier study had led to an agreement that the site near the Sheley Diversion be fenced I to protect it for later study, Mr. I McDougald stated. 1 |