GU1166 "R677 1943"
This benchmark lies about two miles from my house. I've lived nearby for the better part of two decades and have never taken the time to adequately "find", visit, photograph, or otherwise memorialize this mark (if there is, in fact, an adequate way to do that). That changed today with a quick trip just down the road on a foggy day.
While I have known about this mark for some time, the City has recently made plans to turn the adjacent peach orchard into a large City park. These plans, as welcome as they are to the community, put the benchmark at risk of damage or destruction. I was becoming anxious to memorialize the mark for that reason too.
Located on the southeast edge of the City of Kerman, Fresno County California, this USC&GS mark lies adjacent to, and southeasterly of, the San Joaquin Valley Railroad line (formerly Southern Pacific Railroad) serving the westside of Fresno County, and on the northwesterly edge of the aforementioned peach orchard. The USC&GS mark stamped "R677 1943" was found at 09:15, 15 November 2020 as described and in generally good condition. Go to description is adequate, although some of the references in the description no longer exist. Most notably missing is the Kerman Station, removed in the 1960s, the area is now an agricultural chemical plant. The railroad mile pole described as being 5.5 feet northwest of the mark was also not found.
Published NAD83 coordinates are located about 201 feet southeasterly of the found WGS84 coordinates. WGS84 coordinates for the mark found by 3 minute occupation with 9 strong satellites and 1 WAAS satellite.
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Found Details for Benchmark: GU1166
N 36° 43.278, W 120° 02.439 (WGS 84)
Altitude: 245
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Published Details for Benchmark: GU1166
N 36° 43.250, W 120° 02.417 (NAD 83)
Altitude: 223.5
Coordinates may not be exact. Altitude is VERTCON and location is SCALED.
Location: In Fresno County, CA
Designation: R 677
Marker Type: bench mark disk
Setting: set into the top of a round concrete monument
Stability: May hold, but of type commonly subject to surface motion.
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| GU1166 "R677 1943" - Benchmark detail. |
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| GU1166 "R677 1943" - Benchmark and GPSr. |
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| GU1166 "R677 1943" - Benchmark set in a concrete post. The number '548' would be a point number assigned by a surveyor during recent surveying activities. |
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| GU1166 "R677 1943" - Benchmark setting and witness posts (metal and Carsonite). The Carsonite post is actually broken off and only leaning on the metal post. |
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| GU1166 "R677 1943" - Benchmark witness posts (metal and Carsonite). |
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| GU1166 "R677 1943" - Benchmark setting. View north across the San Joaquin Valley Railroad tracks. |
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| GU1166 "R677 1943" - Benchmark setting. View northeasterly along the San Joaquin Valley Railroad tracks. |
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| GU1166 "R677 1943" - Benchmark setting. View east into the adjacent peach orchard. |
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| GU1166 "R677 1943" - Benchmark setting. View south into the adjacent peach orchard and West California Avenue in the distance. |
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| GU1166 "R677 1943" - Benchmark setting. View southwesterly along the San Joaquin Valley Railroad tracks. |
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| GU1166 "R677 1943" - Benchmark setting. View northwesterly across the San Joaquin Valley Railroad tracks. |
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| GU1166 "R677 1943" - Set alongside the future home of a community park southeast of the City of Kerman, Ca. |
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Documented History (by the NGS)
01/01/1943 by CGS (MONUMENTED)
01/01/1959 by NGS (GOOD)
DESCRIBED BY NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY 1959 1 MI E FROM KERMAN. 1.05 MILES EAST ALONG THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD FROM THE STATION AT KERMAN, 0.1 MILE EAST OF THE CROSSING OF GOLDEN ROD AVENUE, AT MILEPOLE 194, 53.6 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE SOUTHEAST RAIL, 93 1/2 FEET SOUTHWEST OF A STEEL RAIL POST MARKING RAILROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY, 5 1/2 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE MILEPOLE, 0.9 FOOT NORTHWEST OF A WITNESS POST, ABOUT 2 FEET LOWER THAN THE TRACK, AND SET IN THE TOP OF A CONCRETE POST PROJECTING 0.2 FOOT ABOVE THE GROUND.
01/01/1966 by NGS (GOOD)
RECOVERY NOTE BY NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY 1966 RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
Control Text
- The horizontal coordinates were scaled from a topographic map and have an estimated accuracy of +/- 6 seconds.
- The NAVD 88 height was computed by applying the VERTCON shift value to the NGVD 29 height (displayed under SUPERSEDED SURVEY CONTROL.) The vertical order pertains to the superseded datum.
- The geoid height was determined by GEOID99.
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