Unlisted Benchmarks

[MikeB106]

I stumbled on some benchmarks in the Great Smokey Mtns. this weekend... How do I go about finding the PID for them? They were placed by USGS rather than the Coast and Geodetic Survey. I have found listings for some BMs in the Fontana Lake region, but none of them are the two I found, one on the Twentymile Trail (marked N10 1928), and another on top of Gregory Bald (with no identifier... only the elevation).

 

I called the USGS and got directed to their website, but that didn't help since I can't find the PID. What now???

 

MikeB106

 

... Thanks for all the ideas... I guess I'll just have to keep a list of all the BMs I find until (an if) they are listed with GC.com.

Edited November 25, 2003 by MikeB106

[+DustyJacket]

If they aren't listed on GC.com you can't log them.

 

While you can report them to the "owning" agency perhaps, it wouldn't count here. Most agencies don't seem very interested in folks finding their marks.

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

I have started my own Enumerated Domain.

Using National Geographic Interactive Topos,

to log the marks in,Until then it seems a good way to keep track of ALL the Benchmarks found by this user.

Maybe one day they will update it all and you will have them ready to go.

Until then Happy hunting...............................

Edited November 25, 2003 by GEO*Trailblazer 1

[Z15]

U.S. Geological Survey

Mid-Continent Mapping Center

Earth Science Information Center (ESIC)

1400 Independence Road, Mail Stop 231

Rolla, Mo. 65401

 

Toll Free 1-888-275-8747

Phone: (573) 308-3500

Fax: (573) 308-3615

E-mail: mcmcesic@usgs.gov

 

All you need is a regular index of topographic names.  We sell our control in 15 minute quads for $1.25 for vertical and $1.25 for horizontal or $2.50 for both.  There is also a $5.00 handling charge for your order.  The best way to order is to call us with your credit card order or fax or email (we will call for your credit card number) us an order.  That way we can lower the prices according to contents in folder.

Edited November 25, 2003 by elcamino

[+Sparky-Watts]

Ya know, this may be just a hair (or thread) off-topic, but last fall, I stumbled onto a USGS benchmark in the most unusual of places....underneath my house in the crawl space. Still set in stone, undisturbed for at least 83 years, it just sits there. Once there is a reliable site to log these where other users can view them, this one will be a great one for someone to try to find! There are also about half a dozen more in my neighborhood (all dating back to around 1920) that aren't listed on this site. Guess I just don't understand why some are listed and some aren't. I've found a couple that are listed around this area, but most that are listed are either destroyed, or as in my case, have structures built on top of them.

[+GeckoGeek]

Guess I just don't understand why some are listed and some aren't.

If I've understood DaveD's posts correctly, it's because the necessary paper work to "locate" the mark to the standards required by the NGS was not submitted.

 

Keep in mind that CG did not bring over marks labeled as destroyed. You also won't see those marks in the NGS county sheets. The only way to find them is do a search on the NGS and make sure you check off to search destroyed marks.

 

Also, by default CG "hides" any marks that have a "not found" on the official record. You'll have to check off "show all marks" in CG to see those.

 

In your case since the mark is under your house, it could have been erroneously marked as destroyed.

[+Evans]

I can't say enough how very helpful the USGS benchmark folks in Rolla MO have been to me and my wife. As the USGS reply to your inquiry suggests, they are there to help you find more detail on there benchmarks. They have provided search and identification detail on over 50 markers for us. First class service and attitude! Just give them the map quad details and they'll do their best to help.

 

ER & LR

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

Rolla has told me that they also have a CD that has all the marks that they have set and recovered it runs around $50.00 if I remember right.

[Wintertime]

Rolla has told me that they also have a CD that has all the marks that they have set and recovered it runs around $50.00 if I remember right.

Do you have further information about that? I can't find anything about survey mark CDs on their web site. Does the CD cover all three USGS regions, or just Eastern? What information does it have about each benchmark?

 

Thanks!

Patty

[+Kewaneh & Shark]

If you unintentionally find (or stumble onto) a benchmark, and you don't know if it is in the Geocaching data base, write down the description of it (or take a picture or two), take a coordinate on it with your GPSr, and then do a benchmark search by coordinates using the coordinates you found at the mark. If the mark you found is in the database, it will be near the top, if not on the top of the search list. Just check the description to be sure. Sometime you get lucky. I've found more than one benchmark by accident, and I've found more than one that was set by and/or stamped by the USGS.

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

Wintertime

I am not sure on the CD.

I was given the info by the State Surveyor(Mr. French)Rolla and never pursued ir further,not having the $$.

He did say it covered all their marks in Missouri,and that it was interactive as far as long/lat search as well as County and PID search,thats all I know.