These days I'd call the post the corner marker, maybe nail a washer with my name and number on it and describe what and why in the narrative portion of the filed survey. I'm not sure about witness corners as they might just cause more confusion down the line. If I was concerned about the perfect math down the line I'd probably put coordinates on all the corners including some ties to control points with geodetic numbers like long static sessions and OPUS solution. This way the whole fence could be removed and the point of the corner would be preserved for ever more. With our current measurement technology is a 5 foot tie really any better than about 5000 feet?
There is no reason why a modern survey and the proper use of geodetic coordinates can't nail it down forever, even if a bomb wiped it all out. The local markers are for the landowners to use. The nerdy math is for surveyors.
I've condensed that
The monuments of a survey are primarily for the landowners, and only secondarily for other surveyors.
> Is this extra effort and material going to be of any value to others or am I doing it just to convince myself and others that I do so much better work than the other surveyors in the area?
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> Practice to high standards, but don't kid yourself that placing objects in the ground when they're not adding any benefit to those who would rely on your survey equates to better practice.
Maybe this should be on the exam!
I like all that EAPLS2708 said, but I wanted to highlight that part, to make it stick a bit more!
Just good thinking.
Nate
There was a time when I would argue with you about that geodetic tie Leon. That time has past. The monuments are for the owner and when the fence corner is gone its time for a new survey. Nearby witness corners might be used correctly or incorrectly. A geodetic control monument 5000 ft away or CORS station would probably not be used incorrectly (by the owner). I'm not sure about all surveyors.
The world isn't ready to move coordinates up the priority list of evidence until all surveyors learn that you only scale distances from grid to ground, never coordinates. I can see some really messed up coordinates happening.
I did This at a Fence Corner
We monumented a similar offset by 10 feet due to corner falling within a tree, nearly 20 years ago in Orangevale, Sacramento County.
Now, while field reconning on a nearby property, I see a metal-rail horse fence built right to the offset on the rear line, encroaching onto the neighbor's parcel.
We filed a record of survey and gave a copy to the client.
There has been a change of ownership, so maybe the map wasn't provided to the new owners.
Sometimes, best of intentions still don't succeed...
My coordinate set would be from an LDP which made the grid at the local ground. With a complete coordinate list of the boundary survey points also tied out to some control points it wouldn't be that difficult to put it all back. Hopefully many of the corners would still exist after a few had been wiped out. I'd also list the geodetic coords in either lat, long height or X,Y,Z. So I say if it can't be put back with all that data which would also include ground (no scaling required) bearings and distances (just another way to generate a coordinate list), then it would be a sorry surveyor that had been hired if they can't get it right. My coords would be at a ground level grid nowhere near a SPC or UTM (unless a savy client wanted that). Your tape measure would work. It ain't that hard folks!
The best thing for the landowner is the fence post as long as the post occupies the corner. They can see it, touch it and feel it.