National Geodetic Survey
National Geodetic Survey Height Modernization
The current Height Modernization project for South Louisiana is a partnership between FEMA, the Louisiana Spatial Reference Center (LSRC) at Louisiana State University (LSU), and NOAA’S National Geodetic Survey (NGS). The project involves 27 parishes in the southern portion of Louisiana. The parishes are those east of interstate I-55, those that have interstates I-10 or I-12 running through them, or are south of interstate I-10. It will include a number of different components such as the re-observing of the control marks updated last Fall (99 – 2004.65 marks), the update or establishment of additional control points in all 27 parishes (approx. 225 marks), a possible small amount of leveling, GPS observations, gravity observations, additional LSU / NGS established CORS, a pilot multi-base RTK network in the SE portion of the state, and the establishment of several new NOAA tide stations. Currently, there is a total of approximately 325 control marks (not counting CORS) scheduled to be observed and will end up with updated coordinate values. The intention is to have these values in the NGS datasheets and available to the public by Spring 2007.
Preparation for the above mentioned observations began with the recon for control marks in February of this year. With that finished, we are now moving on to the actual GPS observations. The observations will involve the use of 24 GPS receivers that will collect 18 hours of data per day, for two days on each mark. The GPS observations are beginning in the Washington – St. Tammany – Tangipahoa parish area of the project and will move in a clockwise motion around Lake Pontchartrain, down to the south, then westerly to the LA – TX border. Because there are only currently 99 valid benchmarks in southern Louisiana, we know how much these marks are being used. We (NGS) would like to minimize the inconvenience to the User’s of the 2004.65 marks, while still being able to hold to our schedule. Please review the tentative schedule for any possible conflicts. The GPS data being collected will be available for those who want it. The data will be collected using a 15 second epoch rate along with a 13 degree elevation mask. Because we have a uniform set of GPS antennas and equipment, we are not looking for additional data, but again will make our data available to others. Please see the contact information below for who to contact about getting GPS data from the NGS.
To make this project run as smoothly as possible, we are trying to get the word out to as many of the users as possible and we are asking your help to do this. For more information on this project, please contact one of the officials below. Also, see the project map (below).
2004 Coastal Louisiana Project
NGS Officially Releases NOAA Technical Report 50
Contacts |
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 Mark Eckl, Charles Geoghegan, Ronnie Taylor, Kendall Fancher and Denis Riordan (not pictured are Roy Anderson and David Crockett) |
