pip. No.' 2^3Y" McNARY RESERVOIR — SHINER 169 



THE KIVER BASIN SUEVEYS PROGRAM 



About the time that it was clear that World War II would come 

 to a successful conclusion, plans were made by the Federal Govern- 

 ment for a nationwide program of flood control and irrigation. The 

 realization that these plans would be carried out caused some concern 

 among historians, archeologists, and paleontologists, in that the work 

 would inundate vast areas in which little or no scientific investigation 

 had been undertaken. 



In 1945, one of the first steps was taken to remedy the situation. 

 Members of the Committee on Basic Needs in American Archeology, 

 of the National Research Council, and members of the Smithsonian 

 Institution staff met and discussed plans for initiating a program of 

 salvage. First, a Committee for the Recovery of Archeological Re- 

 mains was formed to study the problem. Later, agreements were 

 reached between the Smithsonian Institution, the National Park Serv- 

 ice, the Corps of Engineers, and the Bureau of Reclamation for a 

 salvage program. 



The National Park Service is the agency officially responsible for 

 the preservation of historical and archeological sites; it therefore 

 became the responsible agency in the salvage program. In October 

 1945, an agreement was reached between the Park Service and the 

 Smithsonian Institution, whereby the latter would undertake scien- 

 tific responsibility for the work done. The Park Service would, under 

 the agreement, advise the Smithsonian Institution of Federal projects 

 which might involve salvage, and in turn advise the agency responsible 

 for the construction that archeological and/or paleontological sites 

 were threatened if such were the case. 



River Basin Surveys was actually organized in the fall of 1945, with 

 Dr. Frank H. H. Roberts, Jr., as director. It was set up as a unit of 

 the Bureau of American Ethnology. In 1946 the Missouri River 

 Basin established the first field office at Lincoln, Nebr. In 1947 field 

 headquarters were opened at Eugene, Oreg., for the Pacific Coast 

 region, and Dr. Philip Drucker was appointed director. 



Initial archeological surveys were begun in the Pacific Coast region 

 during the summer of 1947. One of the first surveys accomplished 

 was that of the McNary Reservoir on the Columbia River (see map 2) . 

 Clarence Smith and Franklin Fenenga did the fieldwork and reported 

 120 archeological sites within the pool area. They recommended that 

 22 or more of these should be given priority for excavation. Numbers 

 of reservoirs were surveyed in subsequent years, and reports on the 

 results were mimeographed for distribution to cooperating agencies 

 and institutions. 



During the summer of 1948, excavations were initiated at three sites. 

 At site 45-BN-3 (Berrian's Island), a burial ground was almost com- 



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