Questions on Public Resources Code Applicable to Geodetic Control

[Sunburned_Surveyor]

I took the time to study the Public Resources Code applicable to geodetic control, and I have a list of simple questions. I'm hoping someone here will have some background on the legislation and will be patient enough to answer my questions.

I'd like to put together a little guide to the PRC requirements for geodetic control for land surveyors like myself.

A couple of people expressed surprise that I didn't know this section of code better. I'd rather look stupid for asking questions than not ask questions for fear of looking stupid. :]

Here are my questions:

1) How is the term "survey" defined as it is used in PRC Section 8813.1? Does it mean a field survey? I see State Plane Coordinates used a lot, especially in GIS applications. I think there is a gray area between some GIS applications and what would be considered a "survey". If I take out a GIS grade GPS receiver and collect location measurements, and then publish a map showing these locations in California State Plane Coordinates, did I just do a "survey"? If I produce a map or document showing the state plane coordinates of features from survey grade aerial photography, LIDAR, or topographic data, did I just do a "survey"?

2) Section 8813.1 mentions ties to stations in the CSRC. Is there an authoritative list of CSRN stations? Is this just the list of stations in the spreadsheet for the latest epoch date published on the CSRC web site?

3) Section 8813.1 talks about ties to stations that aren't in the CSRN, but that meet the requirements for inclusion in the CSRN. Are these requirements published somewhere? How do I know if a station that isn't in the CSRN would meet the requirements to be included? Do these requirements change over time?

4) Section 8813.1 requires that you list an accuracy for the control stations referenced in a survey if the control stations aren't in the CSRN. In turn, Section 8813.2 requires supporting documentation if you list an accuracy. One of the required elements of the supporting documentation is "The FGDC or FGCS accuracy standard" used to calculate the accuracies. To what standard is this section refering? Is it meant to always be the latest FGDC or FGCS standards?

5) Section 8815.2 requires that you publish the NGS or CSRC epoch date for your coordinates. Is the information about the CSRC epoch dates published online somewhere? (I was able to find the Microsoft Excel spreadsheets with the CSRC station coordinates for each epoch date. Is that the extent of the epoch documentation at the CSRC?)

6) Section 8896 talks about a "local orthometric height correction". Is that a correction based on surveyed monuments instead of a geoid?

7)

I hope to post some questions about the PRC's requirements for FGDC or FGCS standards for accuracy documentation later.

Thanks for the help.

Landon

[J.Neely]

Landon,
The requirements for inclusion in the CSRN are listed in PRC 8856-8859.

[Sunburned_Surveyor]

I'll take a look at those sections.

Landon

[Jim Frame]

1) How is the term "survey" defined as it is used in PRC Section 8813.1?

I assume it means anything that falls under the definition of land surveying per §8726 of the B&P Code.

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