PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
EUCALYPTUS INDUSTRIAL PARK
CITY OF MORENO VALLEY
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
March 8, 2008
PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
EUCALYPTUS INDUSTRIAL PARK
CITY OF MORENO VALLEY
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
Prepared for:
City of Moreno Valley
Community Development Department—Planning Division
ATT: Mr. Jeff Bradshaw
14177 Frederick Street
Moreno Valley, California 92553
Prepared by:
Robert E. Reynolds
LSA Associates, Inc.
1500 Iowa Avenue, Suite 200
Riverside, California 92507
LSA Project No. PLO0701
March 8, 2008
LSA ASSOCIATES, INC.
MARCH 2008
PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
EUCALYPTUS INDUSTRIAL PARK
CITY OF MORENO VALLEY
MANAGEMENT SUMMARY
LSA Associates, Inc. (LSA) was retained by the City of Moreno Valley to conduct a paleontological
resources assessment of the approximately 121-acre project site for the Eucalyptus Industrial Park
project in the City of Moreno Valley, Riverside County, California. The paleontological resources
assessment was conducted pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The
purpose of the study was to determine whether there is potential for the proposed project to impact
archaeological or historical resources.
LSA conducted a literature review and a field survey of the parcel in February 2008. The project
contains sediments with potential to contain significant, nonrenewable paleontological resources, as
determined by the Paleontological Resource Sensitivity Map of Riverside County, the literature
search, and the field survey. Therefore, a paleontological resources impact mitigation program
(PRIMP), including excavation monitoring by a qualified paleontologist, is recommended for
earthmoving activities in Pleistocene sediments on the project site.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
MANAGEMENT SUMMARY.............................................................................................................. ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................................................iii
INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................. 1
PROJECT LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION ..................................................................................... 1
SETTING ............................................................................................................................................... 1
GEOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................... 1
PALEONTOLOGY ......................................................................................................................... 3
HYDROLOGY ................................................................................................................................ 3
PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION......................................................................................................... 3
PERSONNEL......................................................................................................................................... 3
METHODS............................................................................................................................................. 4
RESEARCH..................................................................................................................................... 4
FIELD SURVEY ............................................................................................................................. 4
RESULTS............................................................................................................................................... 4
RESEARCH..................................................................................................................................... 4
FIELD SURVEY ............................................................................................................................. 5
PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES........................................................................................... 5
PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCE RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................... 5
PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES IMPACT MITIGATION PROGRAM ............................. 5
REFERENCES CITED .......................................................................................................................... 7
FIGURE
1: Regional and Project Location......................................................................................................... 2
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LSA ASSOCIATES, INC.
MARCH 2008
PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
EUCALYPTUS INDUSTRIAL PARK
CITY OF MORENO VALLEY
INTRODUCTION
LSA Associates, Inc. (LSA) was retained by City of Moreno Valley to conduct a paleontological
resources assessment of the 121-acre project site for the proposed Eucalyptus Industrial Park in the
northeastern portion of the City of Moreno Valley, Riverside County, California. The paleontological
resources assessment was completed pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
LSA conducted a literature review for paleontological resources in February 2007 followed by a field
assessment to locate sediments having potential to contain paleontological resources.
PROJECT LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION
The proposed 121-acre project (Figure 1) is located in the southwest ¼ of Section 2, Township 3
South, Range 3 West, San Bernardino Baseline and Meridian (U.S. Geological Survey 7.5-minute
series Sunnymead, California quadrangle, 1967, photorevised 1980). The project is bounded by
California State Route 60 (SR-60) on the north, Pettit Street on the west, Quincy Street on the east,
and by Eucalyptus Avenue on the south.
SETTING
The elevation of the project site is approximately 1,760 feet above mean sea level (AMSL). The
project site is relatively flat. It is located immediately northeast of Moreno Peak, which reaches an
elevation of 2,067 feet AMSL. The project area falls into the Upper Sonoran Life Zone (Jaeger and
Smith 1971:36–37), which ranges from about sea level to an elevation of approximately 5,000 feet
AMSL and is represented in cismontane valleys and low mountain slopes covered with chaparral.
Geology
The project site is located in the Peninsular Range geologic province of California that encompasses
western Riverside County. It sits near the northern margin of the Perris Block (Kenney 1999), which
is bounded on the east by the San Jacinto Fault (Morton 1972, 1977). Crystalline rocks in Moreno
Valley include late Jurassic and Cretaceous granitic rocks of the southern California Batholith. These
resistant rocks weather to form gray- or tan-colored, boulder-covered conical buttes and hills.
The project site is located on older Pleistocene alluvial deposits (Qvof) covered by a thin layer of
Holocene alluvium (Qya, Morton 2004). The Holocene sediments are tan in color, and older
Pleistocene sediments are colored reddish-brown from deep weathering over the last tens of thousand
years. Late Pleistocene sediments containing fossil bison are located one mile southeast in Moreno
Valley (Reynolds 2004b). These tan sediments probably underlie the Holocene sediments at the
project site. The older Pleistocene alluvium (Qvof; Morton 2004; Reynolds and Reynolds 1991;) is
probably older than the late Pleistocene sediments containing bison (Reynolds 2004b).
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QUINCY STREET
PETTIT STREET
MORENO BEACH DRIVE
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Project Location
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EUCALYPTUS AVENUE
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Regional Location
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SOURCE: County of Riverside, 2006; Quad: Sunnymead (1980), CA.
I:\PLO0701\Reports\Cultural\reg_loc.mxd (12/07/07)
Eucalyptus Industrial Park
Regional and Project Location
LSA ASSOCIATES, INC.
MARCH 2008
PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
EUCALYPTUS INDUSTRIAL PARK
CITY OF MORENO VALLEY
Paleontology
Pliocene and Pleistocene fossils occur five miles northeast of the project in The Badlands (Albright
1999). Fossil Bison sp. has been recovered from Moreno Valley in sediments south of SR-60 at
Redlands Boulevard in eastern Moreno Valley (Reynolds 2004b). The Lakeview Hot Springs site
produced a saber cat and mammoth as well as wood and seeds (Reynolds and Reynolds 1991). These
fauna from the central Perris Block indicate that terminal Pleistocene time (10,000 years before
present [ybp]) occurs as close to the surface as 4.5 meters (15 feet) (Reynolds and Reynolds 1991). At
Hemet, more than 1,700 discrete paleontological resource localities were recovered during excavation
of the Diamond Valley Reservoir (Springer and others 1999). These localities have produced more
than 70 late Pleistocene plant and animal taxa. The high potential for near-surface Pleistocene fossils
from across the Perris Plain has been noted (Reynolds and Reynolds 1991).
Hydrology
Local rainfall ranges from 5 to 15 inches annually (Jaeger and Smith 1971: 36–37). Intermittent
streams drain southwest through Moreno Valley into the San Jacinto River.
PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION
This paleontological resource assessment was completed in compliance with the Paleontological
Resources Impact Mitigation Standards of Riverside County and follows the guidelines of the Society
of Vertebrate Paleontology. This program serves to reduce impacts to nonrenewable paleontological
resources to a level that is less than significant, as required in the CEQA analysis of the project.
A project that might directly or indirectly destroy a unique paleontological resource or site may have
a significant effect on the environment. The paleontological records search and field assessment were
conducted pursuant to the CEQA, Public Resources Code (PRC) 21000 (Division 13), California
Code of Regulations (CCR) 15000 (Title 14, Chapter 3), CEQA Appendix G, PRC 5097.5. The
assessment documents the potential for paleontological resources older than 9,000 years to occur in
the project area. If a potential for encountering resources is determined, a paleontological resources
impact mitigation program (PRIMP) is proposed to reduce impacts to a less than significant level.
PERSONNEL
Robert Reynolds, paleontologist and Senior Cultural Resource Manager from the LSA Riverside
office, conducted the field survey and the literature review and wrote the paleontological resources
assessment report. Mr. Reynolds is a research associate of the Los Angeles County Museum and
former Curator of Earth Sciences at the San Bernardino County Museum. He has 23 years of
experience with paleontological salvage programs and 37 years of research experience in collecting
biostratigraphic specimens from sediments in southern California and Nevada.
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LSA ASSOCIATES, INC.
MARCH 2008
PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
EUCALYPTUS INDUSTRIAL PARK
CITY OF MORENO VALLEY
METHODS
Research
Available geological and paleontological literature was reviewed to determine the potential for
paleontological resources to occur in sedimentary deposits within the project site. The Paleontological
Resource Sensitivity Map from the Riverside County Planning Department was consulted to
determine the paleontological sensitivity determined for the project site.
Field Survey
An intuitive foot-survey was conducted in early February 2008. Half the project was in cleared fields
while the other half was planted in citrus. Visibility was excellent in the cleared half and reduced in
the orchards. The paleontologist walked transects over the project area 15 meters apart, focusing on
the visible sediments exposed on portions of the project site. The parcel is currently vacant and the
surface has been impacted by modern discing activities. Seasonal grasses, dense brush, and other
vegetation reduced ground visibility to approximately 40 percent. Road cuts and rodent back dirt were
checked for paleontological remains.
RESULTS
Research
The paleontological literature search indicated that there was potential for significant, nonrenewable
resources to be encountered by construction excavation on the project site. The Paleontological
Resource Sensitivity Map of Riverside County indicated that paleontological sensitivity for sediments
on the project was high.
Late Pleistocene sediments containing bison (Reynolds 2004b) are located one mile southeast of the
project and near Hemet at Diamond Valley (Springer and others 1998, 1999). The presence of fossil
bison (Reynolds 2004a) in excavations east of Redlands Boulevard indicates that those sediments
were deposited during the last 150,000 years (the Rancholabrean Land Mammal Age). The older
sediments (Qvof; Morton 2004) underlying the project site are referred to as middle Pleistocene in
age. East of the Moreno Valley project site, charcoal from geotechnical trenches at a depth of 2.5
meters (8 feet) has been dated by the accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS) method at 8,340 ± 110
years (Butelo and Meeker 1993).
Seven miles south of the project site in the central portion of the Perris Block, the Lakeview Hot
Springs site produced a complex fauna including the saber cat Smilodon in association with mammoth
and other large and small mammals, reptiles, and gastropods, as well as wood and seeds (Reynolds
and Reynolds 1991). These fauna from the central Perris Block indicate that terminal Pleistocene time
(10,000 years before present [ybp]) occurs as close to the surface as 4.5 meters (15 feet) (Reynolds
and Reynolds 1991). Slow rates of deposition and shallow depths to Pleistocene and Pliocene
fossiliferous sediments are also indicated by the presence of the Nomlaki Ash 6 meters (20 feet) deep
in excavations at Romoland (Morton, personal communication 2004). This early Pliocene Ash has
been dated at 4.5 million years.
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LSA ASSOCIATES, INC.
MARCH 2008
PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
EUCALYPTUS INDUSTRIAL PARK
CITY OF MORENO VALLEY
Fourteen miles southeast of the project site at Hemet, more than 1,700 discrete paleontological
resource localities were recovered during excavation of the Diamond Valley Reservoir (Springer and
others 1999). These localities have produced more than 70 late Pleistocene plant and animal taxa. The
high potential for near-surface Pleistocene fossils from Menifee Valley and north across the Perris
Plain has been noted (Reynolds and Reynolds 1991); and Ice Age horse, camel, and deer have been
recovered from the projects in Menifee Valley and French Valley (Reynolds 2001; 2002a, b; 2003;
2004a, b).
Field Survey
The foot-survey confirmed that red-brown sandy silt was present below the surface, particularly in
western portions of the project area. The sedimentary stratigraphy of the project is consistent with the
regional mapping of the area and the red silt represents the older Pleistocene alluvium (Morton 2004).
Paleontological Resources
The paleontological resource literature review and field survey determined that there is potential for
significant paleontological resources to occur in middle Pleistocene sediments on the project site. The
presence of sediments with high potential is supported by the Paleontological Resource Sensitivity
Map from the Riverside County Planning Department.
PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCE RECOMMENDATIONS
The presence of sediments suitable to contain paleontological resources and the positive results of the
literature review and field survey reinforce the high potential for encountering significant
nonrenewable vertebrate fossils during construction excavation. This study recommends that a
PRIMP be included with the construction excavation phase of the project. This PRIMP must include
excavation monitoring and, if fossils are found during excavation monitoring, fossil salvage, fossil
preparation and identification, repository curation, and a compliance report will be required.
Compliance with these recommendations will reduce impacts to paleontological resources below a
level of significance. The PRIMP is discussed below.
Paleontological Resources Impact Mitigation Program
The results of the literature review and the field survey indicated that LSA, in accordance with the
recommendations of the County, should develop a PRIMP for the excavation phase of the project.
This program is designed to conform to the guidelines of the County of Riverside and the Society of
Vertebrate Paleontology. It includes the following steps:
•
A trained paleontological monitor will be present during ground-disturbing activities within the
project area in sediments determined likely to contain paleontological resources. The monitoring
for paleontological resources will be conducted on a half-time basis during the rough-grading
phase of the project. Agency thresholds for monitoring suggest that monitoring on a less than
half-time basis is not adequate. If paleontological resources are located during excavation, the
monitoring program will change to full-time. The monitor will be empowered to temporarily halt
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LSA ASSOCIATES, INC.
MARCH 2008
PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
EUCALYPTUS INDUSTRIAL PARK
CITY OF MORENO VALLEY
or redirect construction activities to ensure avoidance of adverse impacts to paleontological
resources. The monitor will be equipped to rapidly remove any large fossil specimens
encountered during excavation. During monitoring, samples will be collected and processed to
recover microvertebrate fossils. Processing will include wet screen washing and microscopic
examination of the residual materials to identify small vertebrate remains.
•
Upon encountering a large deposit of bone, salvage of all bone in the area will be conducted with
additional field staff and in accordance with modern paleontological techniques.
•
All fossils collected during the project will be prepared to a reasonable point of identification.
Excess sediment or matrix will be removed from the specimens to reduce the bulk and cost of
storage. Itemized catalogs of all material collected and identified will be provided to the museum
repository along with the specimens.
•
A report documenting the results of the monitoring and salvage activities and the significance of
the fossils will be prepared.
•
All fossils collected during this work, along with the itemized inventory of these specimens, will
be deposited in a museum repository for permanent curation and storage.
Compliance with these recommendations will ensure that potential impacts to the paleontological
resources that may occur on the project site are reduced to a less than significant level.
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LSA ASSOCIATES, INC.
MARCH 2008
PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
EUCALYPTUS INDUSTRIAL PARK
CITY OF MORENO VALLEY
REFERENCES CITED
Albright, L. Barry III
1999 Biostratigraphy and vertebrate paleontology of the San Timoteo Badlands, southern
California. University of California Press: University of California Publications,
Geological Sciences, Volume 144: 121 p. and 8 plates.
Butelo, J.J., and A.O. Meeker
1993 Geotechnical Investigation of Faulting and Seismicity: Hemet/San Jacinto Regional Water
Reclamation Facility, Riverside County, California. For Eastern Municipal Water District,
by Schaefer Dixon Associates (30–017).
Jaeger, Edmund C., and Arthur C. Smith
1971 Introduction to the Natural History of Southern California. California Natural History
Guides: 13. Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Kenney, M.D.
1999 Emplacement, Offset History, and Recent Uplift of Basement Within the San Andreas
Fault System, Northeastern San Gabriel Mountains, California; University of Oregon.
Doctorial Dissertation.
Morton, D.M.
1972 Geology of the Lakeview-Perris Quadrangles, Riverside County, California, CDMG, Map
Sheet 19, Scale 1:24,000.
1977
Surface Deformation in Part of the San Jacinto Valley, Southern California, in Journal of
Research, U.S. Geological Survey, Vol. 5, No. 1, Jan–Feb. 1977, pp. 117–124.
2004
Geologic Map of the Santa Ana 30' × 60' Quadrangle, Southern California. USGS OFR 99172, V.2-2004. Scale: 1:100,000.
2004
Personal Communications.
Reynolds, R.E.
2001 Paleontological Resources Monitoring Program; Beazer Homes Butterfield Tract. LSA
Associates, Inc. for Beazer Homes, 10 p.
2002a Paleontological Resources Monitoring Program, Beazer Homes Butterfield III Tract. LSA
Associates, Inc. for Beazer Homes, 11 p.
2002b Paleontological Resources Monitoring Program, Beazer Homes Cliff Parcel, French
Valley. LSA Associates, Inc. for Beazer Homes, 11 p.
2003
Paleontological Resources Monitoring Program, Beazer Homes Menifee Greens, Menifee
Valley. LSA Associates, Inc. for Beazer Homes, 10 p.
2004a Paleontological Resources Monitoring Program, Centex Homes Bella Vista Parcel,
Murrieta. LSA Associates, Inc., for Centex Homes, p. 11.
2004b Paleontological Investigations, Moreno – Highlands Fault Investigation, for Leighton and
Associates, p. 10.
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LSA ASSOCIATES, INC.
MARCH 2008
PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
EUCALYPTUS INDUSTRIAL PARK
CITY OF MORENO VALLEY
Reynolds, R.E., and R.L. Reynolds
1991 The Pleistocene Beneath our Feet: Near-surface Pleistocene Fossils from Inland Southern
California Basins. San Bernardino County Museum Association Quarterly V. 38 (3 & 4), p.
41–43.
Springer, Kathleen, E. Scott, L.K. Murray, and W.G. Spaulding
1998 Partial Skeleton of a Large Individual of Mammut americanum from the Domenigoni
Valley, California. Abstract, Jour. Vert. Paleo. V. 19 (3), p.77A.
Springer, Kathleen, E. Scott, C. Sagebiel, and K. Scott
1999 A late Pleistocene Lake-edge Vertebrate Assemblage from the Diamond Valley, Riverside
County, California. Abstract, Jour. Vert. Paleo. V. 19 (3), p.77A.
United States Geological Survey (U.S. Department of the Interior)
1967 Sunnymead, California 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle map. Photorevised 1980.
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