Artifacts found on Owens Lake, photo by Scott Stine, via Northwestern University
While the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) has been spending roughly a billion dollars to limit dust pollution from Owens Lake, they’ve become stalled by the ongoing struggle between science, politics, and government regulation.
Dry Owens Lake was once the single largest contributor to fine particle dust pollution in the United States, and the DWP has been successful in reducing its pollution by almost 90 percent. However, they still have to get the pollution to levels below regulation, and their deadline is set for some time in 2013. There are heavy fines that the DWP will have to pay because of the inability to make the deadline. They’ve already agreed to pay $6.5 million for missing a 2010 deadline, and they could be facing as much as $10,000 for every day past the 2013 deadline. The problem area now is only three square miles.
What’s the holdup? Well, the DWP has discovered a virtual treasure trove of archaeologically significant artifacts! Buried beneath the sand of the dry lake, archaeologists contracted by the DWP have uncovered large concentrations of artifacts buried underneath the sand, and even some evidence (mainly an abundance of bullets and musket balls) that a massacre may have taken place in the area. Archaeologists are now legally obligated to properly excavate the site and preserve these artifacts as best they can.
But there’s a third party involved here – the descendants of the people whose artifacts are being found. Local tribes are getting angry at the removal of these artifacts, and are taking it personally. To some Native Americans, the actions of the archaeologists are being seen as an attempt to remove the last of their heritage. Archaeologists disagree of course, and say it’s actually the best thing they can do to preserve their heritage.
If archaeologists do not find any skeletons or religious artifacts, then their job will be protected by the federal regulations like the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. However, if skeletons and/or religious items are found, the local natives may very well have their wish to stop all archaeological work granted.
As most should be aware, this blog is connected to The REAL Desert Dogs. We use it mostly to find cool and interesting stories and tell you the reader about it. That, and we generally want to keep up with what’s going on in the desert.
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