Explaining elevation-related issues to the general public

It depends on the client. When I worked in Appalachia, I kept a carpenter's square with me and would draw a square with the t-edge then stand the square up and measure the hypotenuse with my hand and show them that it was longer than the t-edge.

Some counties in NC allow subdivision of lots sized 10ac or more to skip subdivision review. It wasn't uncommon to survey a 30ac mountain tract, that a client was planning on carving into three lots, and find that the true acreage was closer to 28ac. I learned quickly to have the slope measurement discussion with these clients before commencement of the survey.

@murphy   You may have been talking with distant relatives of mine.  It took five generations to get any to move very far from the first generation's landing point.  Starting in the 1750's near what became the common state line in the 1860's of Virginia and West Virginia.  In a county that sent nearly 100 percent of their young fighting men to join the Confederate States of America.  Surprisingly, one of the earliest families to arrive, not mine, can trace down one twisty thread of descendants to a former occupant of the White House.  Barack Obama, believe it or not.

Posted by: @murphy

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It depends on the client. When I worked in Appalachia, I kept a carpenter's square with me and would draw a square with the t-edge then stand the square up and measure the hypotenuse with my hand and show them that it was longer than the t-edge.

Some counties in NC allow subdivision of lots sized 10ac or more to skip subdivision review. It wasn't uncommon to survey a 30ac mountain tract, that a client was planning on carving into three lots, and find that the true acreage was closer to 28ac. I learned quickly to have the slope measurement discussion with these clients before commencement of the survey.

I'm not sure I'm following you.  Did it turn out less because the older unchecked survey was done pulling tape and not taking into account the hroizontal distance versus the sloped tape they pulled (which shouldn't have happened in the plumb and tape days if done correctly)?  It seems in todays age of edms doing the math, if anything the final plat would record horizontally at 30ac but the actual face measurements would calc out to be > 30ac.

@dave-o It is very common for older deeds to call for an acreage that is larger than what actually exists on the ground. The methods of calculating - or estimating - area used in the good 'ole days tended to favor an error in the upward direction.

@dave-o Using Avery County, NC as an example, there's almost no naturally flat land. The majority of natural land is well above 15% grade I believe Avery claims that over 50% of the total land is greater than 33%. Avery allows roads up to 18% routinely. Poor doesn't come close to describing some of the areas in Appalachia that, until the 1930s, were virtually cutoff from civilization. Poles were the unit of measurement and were used in the folds in the mountains, colloquially called hollows and pronounced holler. I suspect that nearly everyone knew where they owned and deed descriptions were merely an afterthought as land was life. Most of the mountains that are now forested, were cleared for dairy cows and sheep. Buttermilk was a significant cash source and folks channeled the cold mountain streams into springhouses that contained stepped basins of depths set specifically for the commonly used glass milk jars (e.g. gallon and half gallon). The cold water would fill the basin just below jar's neck then it would cascade down to the next basin that held a shorter jar.

So, to answer your question, slope chaining (they used poles) was more common than measuring horizontal distances and a surveyor was not typically involved in the process.

@murphy   Even using early surveyors, it was easie for one person to tip the pole end over end in what was thought to be a straight line until  one reached the "brow of the hill/mountain" or some similar term.  Then add a couple extra poles in case you miscounted..