ATTENTION: For those working in PLSSia

Here in Mesa County, Colorado, we have three meridians, the 6th P.M., the New Mexico P.M. and the twelve townships of the Ute Meridian. Most surveys recorded or deposited in the county are in the Ute, a three-mile method survey.

@kscott 

Does the continental divide pass through Mesa County?

The Cimarron Meridian serves only the Oklahoma Panhandle.  The east end is the 100 degree of longitude and the west end is the 103 degree of longitude.  The north side is 37 degree of latitude and the south is 36 degree and 30 minute of latitude.

Ours is a mouthful - The Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, the initial point is just Southwest of Phoenix on the alignment of Baseline Road on a hill overlooking the Phoenix Speedway.

The Willamette Meridian here in Oregon and Washington.  The monument was set in the most survey unfriendly location you can think of.  It's in a steep draw a couple of hundred feet below the summit of the +1000' ridgeline west of Portland.  It is hard chain out in any direction with little sight distance.

@holy-cow No, the continental divide is about 130 miles east of Grand Junction, the Mesa County seat. Mesa County butts up against Utah at the edge of the 6th P.M. in Range 104 West. Actually, there are also 4 fractional sections in Township 8 South, Range 105 West, 6th P.M. at the northwest corner of the county..

@kscott 

Aha, I see now where you are located.  That's a huge county.  My wife's mother was born and raised in Gunnison County, so she has relatives also in Chaffee, Saguache and Delta Counties.  She is related to Bob Edmonds, Colorado land surveyor and rodeo announcer, originally from Salida.

Posted by: @john-putnam

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The Willamette Meridian here in Oregon and Washington.  The monument was set in the most survey unfriendly location you can think of. 

The location of the Willamette Stone, as it came to be known, was selected so that the baseline running east would bisect Portland and stay south of the Columbia River, running west would run across the Tualatin Plain, running north would skirt clear of Vancouver Lake, and running south would stay within the floor of the Willamette Valley for as far as possible. And the time pressure was on, as the area around Portland/Fort Vancouver/Oregon City was already fairly densely settled and scores of new people were arriving daily.   It was June 4th - perhaps 6 or 7 weeks of good surveying weather had already elapsed.  A start had to be made without further ado. So, as you say, the location of the stone is less than ideal from a surveyors perspective.  But that is what we got.

More on the Willamette Stone ....

The heavy purple east/west line is the baseline, the heavy purple north/south line the meridian. The lavender areas with people names labelled are Donation Land Claims - these are the people who were already well settled and in possession of their lands before the surveyors got there. In fact mostly while the question of whether this area was going to be Canada or the USA was in doubt.  

Notice how the first mile of the baseline east of the origin runs along modern day Burnside Rd. This road follows a natural saddle through the hills west of the oldest part of Portland.  

Continuing east, SE Stark (formerly named Baseline Road) and going west there is a Baseline Road between Hillsboro and Forest Grove.  

@norman-oklahoma @protracted 

Did a search on Google Maps for the Willamette Stone.  I'm going to say a forbidden word:  chainsaw.  Open a hole to the sky at a 45 degree angle from level in all directions. 😎 😎 

Posted by: @holy-cow

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I'm going to say a forbidden word:  chainsaw.

Yeh. That's not going to happen. 

Those in Kansas and Oklahoma may have trouble appreciating just how much of the PNW is unsuitable for GPS. When I was in Oklahoma all the crews had a Total Station. But it was used so infrequently that they were not comfortable using it. They therefore often pushed the limits of RTK-ability beyond the threshold. The opposite is the case around here.  

Get me a big two-man chainsaw and an accomplice, plus some coonhunting head lanterns. By the time we had it cleared, I'm sure I would be given a soft bed and free meals for the rest of my life.

@holy-cow As Mark said, not going to happen, it is in park.  It was a hassle for our PLSO chapter to arrange a cleanup a couple of years ago.  It is going to take a big CAT to get the hillside to comply with a 45 degree horizon.

@protracted It passes roughly two blocks south of me in Forest Grove.  From my place it continues west a mile or two until it leaves the valley and hit the coast range.

holy cow, we work mainly East of the Fifth P.M., occasionally West of it. Initial Point being located near Holly Grove, AR, between Brinkley and Helena. Tiffin's Instructions of 1815. I seem to recall that you would get over into MO occasionally so I'm satisfied you are familiar.

@jbw  I am not licensed in Missouri but live one county away in Kansas.  MSPS puts on some great continuing education programs in Joplin every year and every few years in Springfield.  That's a shorter trip for me.  Half of my family spent a few decades in Missouri and have a second cousin near Clinton.  Do you remember DDSM who used to post here?  Dan Dan the Survey Man  Robinson, I think.

@holy-cow No, I don't remember him.

I was in Clinton just last week, fishing trip. Beautiful area. The friend I went with is looking for property to retire there, and I don't blame him. I would too if I wasn't tied to here with family and livestock/farm.

MSPS is having another one in Springfield in early October.

@jbw 

Their Southwest Chapter is having one in about four weeks in Joplin.  Two topics:  Possession vs Ownership and Railroads.  The tiny red head from Maryland or Virginia whose name escapes me at the moment.  Met her in Joplin several years ago discussing different subjects.