Surveying 101

Tools

• Contractor's site level - shoots vertical intervals - drop in stairstep. Vertical intervals are equal unless there is huge variation in slope. Contractor's level is by Berger at Home Depot.

• Laser level - online - quickest is Forestry Supply has good options. Robust. No hassle. Self-leveling laser - where you don't have to do a bubble to level. Must have 360 deg compass on it. Laser shoots 360 degrees. Shoots lo less than 1000 feet in shooting length. TopCon brand.

• Stick - Forestry Supply - 16' stick. Reads in 10ths of inch. Read the back of it, so distance from ground rather than absolute.

• Weedwhacker + chainsaw. Offset 10' from trees if trees are in the way.
  • Always go in one direction.
  • Need a scale map of property.

Procedure

Shoot vertical intervals first (slope). Set up horizontal intervals (following contours, creates aspect) later. Then put the grid down.

• 2 foot drop standard. May need to 4' at high slope like 10%.

Design

• Chapter 2-3 Mollison - erosion pattern - dendritic pattern

Design: 5% slope not good for animals, west face not good.

Ask Parker on full soil report.

Resources

• Surveying Fundamentals and Practices - J. Nathansan et al.
• Dan Schellenberg;
  • Surveying Slope Lines
  • Putting in contour lines every 20 feet
  • Rotating Laser Level
  • Rotating Laser Level and Reciever
  • Making Grid With a Transit