BLM Cadastral Survey Marker

[+Cobber99]

I would like to post a benchmark entry at the geocache.com site for the following marker I found, but I don't know the exact GPS coordinates and I can't seem to find a map that would give them to me for this particular survey. It is 10 miles outside of Palm Springs, CA and quite off the beaten path. I am a complete newbie here and would appreciate any help you folks may have to offer.

 

[+NorthWes]

Quite coincidentally I'm poring over maps of your stomping grounds, planning benchmark and cache hunts for a whirlwind visit to the area in February as part of the 'Alaskan Wolfpack' coming down to Geocoinfest and Temecula Valley III events. Based both on your avatar and your description, I'd hazard a guess that this marker was found in Joshua Tree NP or its bordering federal lands. It's most likely not in the national database used for recording finds on geocaching.com because of its cadastral status (used as a 2-dimensional location marker for boundary delineations). For more info about types of marks and their inclusion in the national database read the 'me first' thread pinned to the top of the benchmark forum. Great stuff there to learn from! As a climber/hiker, you have a lot of 'virgin territory' available to you in the Palm Springs area for mark recoveries... hundreds of marks right along highways, with lots and lots of marks further off the beaten path in the back country just waiting to be logged. I've already decided a return trip to Palm Springs will be necessary to indulge my benchmark hunting...

 

Markers of the type you found are used to show the corners and 'quarter-section' locations of square-mile sections of land (in this case, the middle of the line between sections 23 & 24 of Township 5 South of Range 4 East of the particular local meridian). They're quite useful to hikers for referencing trail easements and so forth.

[+Cobber99]

NorthWes,

 

Thanks for the help! I actually found it around:

33°42'2.78"N

116°31'17.41"W

 

That's back deep in Indian Canyon. I read the top thread and found the basic info on this type of marker. I then did a Google search on it's markings and found some Riverside county meeting minutes describing that boundary point as dividing between national and Indian land here. Guess that's the best I will be able to do.

 

Have you been here before? You will LOVE it. Be sure to do the Museum Trail hike out of downtown Palm Springs - it's great! I live in Palm Springs so Joshua Tree and three mountain ranges are quite close. That area where I found the marker was completely off teh trail in the canyons - it was like being on the moon - 100 degrees out and just barren.

[+Kewaneh & Shark]

Cadastral monuments are rarely included in the NGS or GC.com lists because they are just that - cadastral monuments. The NGS lists geodetic monuments used for geodetic purposes. Occasionally, cadastral monuments serve double duty and get used during a geodetic survey, and occasionally that geodetic information gets submitted to, and published by, the NGS. As such, while some cadastral marks are in the NGS & GC.com lists, they are a rare exception.

 

The mark you've found is located in the San Bernadino Base and Meridian, one of three Public Land Survey System meridians within the State of California.

 

Big Pic Link

 

These posts and threads will give you more information about PLSS section corners and cadastral marks. A search of 'cadastral' will show even more information.

 

Cadastral Survey Marker, marker not found in bench mark search

 

Us General Land Use Benchmarks

 

Cadastral Disks, What is the difference: cadastral, geodetic?

 

I Think I Found A Benchmark?, Checking to see if anyone has found this

 

Hope this helps.

 

- Kewaneh

[68-eldo]

I would like to post a benchmark entry at the geocache.com site for the following marker I found, but I don't know the exact GPS coordinates and I can't seem to find a map that would give them to me for this particular survey. It is 10 miles outside of Palm Springs, CA and quite off the beaten path. I am a complete newbie here and would appreciate any help you folks may have to offer.

 

 

Check out this web site. It will give you a Lat. Lon. for the center of the section if you put in the State/Meridian, township, range, and section.

 

It provided the following info and more for the above mark:

 

Latitude/Longitude 33.7231°N, 116.5174°W ( 33°, 43', 23.0" N; 116°, 31', 2.8" W )

The legal description is: California, San Bernardino Meridian T5S,R4E,sec24

UTM zone 11 (X,Y) 544708 , 3731556

[+Cobber99]

Wow - yeah, that really helps - thanks! Great community!