Cultural Resource Protection
 What are cultural resources?
Cultural resources are prehistoric and historic archaeological sites, isolated artifacts, archaeological districts, structures, engineering features, landscapes and traditional cultural properties. Grant PUD and the Wanapum take the protection of these sites and artifacts very seriously.
Reservoir Patrol
The Wanapum Reservoir Patrol keeps watch over the ancestral lands of the Wanapum along the Columbia River from Richland to Rock Island Dam near Wenatchee, a distance of 110 miles. This stretch of the Columbia includes the Hanford Reach and Grant PUD’s Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams and reservoirs.
The Reservoir Patrol operates two jet boats and several four-wheel drive vehicles. They patrol seven days a week. Reservoir Patrol closely monitors locations of special significance to the Wanapum to protect those places from depredation by looters or from damage from other causes.
Patrollers provide information and other services to visitors to the region and work in close cooperation with law enforcement agencies.
Laws
In Washington, archaeological sites and Native American graves are protected from known disturbance by a variety of state and federal laws. Federal law applies to all federal and native American lands and Washington State law applies to all other lands. The following is a list of existing laws regulating archaeological sites:
Selected federal laws on archaeology:
Washington State laws on Archaeology:
|
