+Agent Okie Posted March 2, 2003 Share Posted March 2, 2003 I searched once again for a benchmark near my house. I also searched for an additional benchmark that was supposed to be up the road about a mile or so. Using the mapquest maps, I located both the concrete culverts (5x5 w/ benchmark(s) on the top of the west wall). Apparently the culverts have been updated at one time or another. The first culvert has a white X with a circle around it in the place where the benchmark should be. The second culvert has no markings at all. I checked and rechecked the culverts and did a thorough search of the area, but no mark. Being a newbie to benchmarking, should I go to the benchmark reports and log them as missing or destroyed? What if I'm wrong? Should I state that I searched and did not find the marks, but the culverts appeared to have been replaced? Any ideas? Thanks! I will be adding a signature soon! Quote Link to comment
+jeff35080 Posted March 2, 2003 Share Posted March 2, 2003 I would list them as 'Not Found' and note that it appears that the sites may have had recent construction. You can't really report it as destroyed since you didn't see the destroyed marker. Keep on searching, I promise you that you will be able to find plenty of 'em! Jeff http://www.StarsFellOnAlabama.com http://www.NotAChance.com If you hide it, they will come.... Quote Link to comment
survey tech Posted March 2, 2003 Share Posted March 2, 2003 Looks like all the leveling in Rogers County was done in the thirties, so you are not likely to have much luck with those. However, there are several USGS tri-stations set in 1968 and a few older ones, most of which have several recovery notes, so you will likely have a better chance going for those. Pilant, for example, looks like it may be the easiest, since the last recovery note says that the land owner has agreed to protect it. Milan, on the other hand, is an example of one that has been classified as destroyed on the basis of the personal knowledge and testimony of the land owner. You can use the search-by-county feature at NGS to review them all at once. Quote Link to comment
+Webfoot Posted March 2, 2003 Share Posted March 2, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Agent Okie:Being a newbie to benchmarking, should I go to the benchmark reports and log them as missing or destroyed? What if I'm wrong? Should I state that I searched and did not find the marks, but the culverts appeared to have been replaced? Any ideas? Agent Okie, I have to agree with Jeff on this one. No firm evidence that it's destroyed, so a "not found" might be more appropriate. Keep it up though as you will find others eventually. I went out three times before I found this one. My first two times out, I couldn't find the marks, although I realize now where one of them is that I could not find. I just need to get back and document that one. Other two, I'm not sure are there. On the same trek where I found the one above, I did get to document this one as well. Good luck in your pursuit. Webfoot Tromping through the underbrush looking for Ammo cans, Tupperware containers, & little round disks. Quote Link to comment
rusty0101 Posted March 3, 2003 Share Posted March 3, 2003 The only two situations where I consider documenting a benchmark as destroyed are when the benchmark was a building or spire that I know was destroyed, see ON0788 or when the benchmark shows obvious damage. If it is a disk on a concrete block, and it looks like someone took a sledge hammer to the block, ON0783 Even then, claiming that the mark is actually destroyed takes a bit more proof than the pictures I submitted. I actually went back and took pictures of the block with a level to show that the block itself appears to have been disturbed. (I show an edge that should be either vertical or possibly canted towards the center of the block, having what appears to be a 15-25 degree angle overhang. Every situation is a little different. Take your time and have fun. -Rusty Quote Link to comment
+DustyJacket Posted March 3, 2003 Share Posted March 3, 2003 Okie - don't worry about it and move on. Out of the 2 I tried, one is on Provate Property with a BIG "No trespassing" sign. Logged as DNF. The other I located from a USGS map, but it is not in the Database at NGS. So, tehnically I am 0 for 2 as well, but I still go on. DustyJacket ...If life was fair, a banana split would cure cancer. Quote Link to comment
+Kewaneh & Shark Posted March 3, 2003 Share Posted March 3, 2003 Don't take it too hard that you didn't find your first two. If you keep looking, you'll find them. As you continue your searches, you'll begin to understand the notes a little better (as sometimes they can be QUITE cryptic), how those notes relate to the present day conditions of the site and you'll begin to get a feel of what to look for. With that, your searches will become easier. I do surveying for a living and I've come up with nothing many times. In my area, there are many that have long since disappeared, and I know from experience which marks are likely to be there, and which ones are not. But that doesn't always help. I do find some that I 'know are gone', and others that I 'know will be there' are not. Sometimes I get stopped by a 'No Trespassing' sign or other type of in-accessable area. It just happens. At present I'm at about 76 benchmark finds, and if I had to guess, I'd say I've probably got 20-30 that I've looked for but could not find for one reason or another. As far as reporting a destroyed benchmark: (This is just my opinion. Please keep the flame mail to a minimum.) My knee-jerk reaction to anyone asking if they should report a benchmark as destroyed to the NGS is 'NO'. There are varying degrees of destruction and many people do not understand them fully. Many times, a benchmark is much more than just a brass cap and sometimes a benchmark (depending on the type) can be re-established from additional evidence at the site, such as reference marks, witness posts, concrete posts, ties to various site objects, etc. Just because the cap is gone, or you couldn't find it, doesn't mean it's been destroyed. There are times however, that there will be no doubt that it has been destroyed or that its position has been compromised. Whether or not you decide to report it to the NGS is up to you, and how you want to report it on the benchmarking pages is your call too. Just keep looking and have fun while you're doing it. There are many to be found and you'll find some. Keep on Caching! - Kewaneh Quote Link to comment
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