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UPFRONT

Archaeologists to Search Proposed Reservoir Sites

The Archaeological Research Program, CSU, Chico, has been awarded $110,318.50 from the California Department of Water Resources, Northern District, for historical research and ground exploration of areas associated with the proposed Sites and Thomes-Newville reservoirs in Tehama, Glenn, and Colusa counties.

The reservoirs are part of a Northern California water agreement recently signed by county, state, and federal agencies to increase the water supply, provide a more integrated approach to water management, and secure water rights for those at the "point of origin."

For the next six months, staff and students from the program will pore over the West Side foothills to search for the remains of ranching and prehistoric Native American settlement and land use.

The Archaeological Research Program's educational mission includes an interdisciplinary approach to archaeological training. Anthropology department graduate and upper-division undergraduate students carry out problem-based research under guidance of the program's professional staff.

Last year, the program conducted a variety of studies for state and federal agencies and private firms throughout Northern California, earning grants and awards totaling more than $600,000.

Program director Greg White will oversee the work on the reservoir sites. He is a Glenn County native with roots stretching back five generations. Professor Michael Magliari, coordinator of the history department's Public History Program, will collaborate, overseeing graduate student research into historical documents and maps that will help pinpoint and interpret features of historical significance.

The work will focus on corridors and blocks of land designated for prospective reservoir facilities, such as conveyance routes, roads, and recreation areas. Fieldwork is expected to extend through June 2001.