You never know what you'll see at the Witness Post

By adamg on Sun, 08/07/2022 - 5:54pm

The Army Corps of Engineers maintains a "witness post" at the dam that diverts some of the Charles River into the Mother Brook in Dedham. It's probably related to the little metal tube next to the post, from which the corps probably can easily draw out some water for tests, but we'd prefer to think it's a place to see things we don't usually see.

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Comments

Marker

By _Michael
Sun, 08/07/2022 - 6:57pm

Typically a Witness Post indicates a survey land marker is in it's immediate vicinity. Those markers are at ground level and often hard to find, particularly after a few years of turf/ground cover/shrubbery growing over them. However a witness post, usually about a meter tall (convenient height to hammer down to) is much easier to spot from a distance. A few minutes of searching will find a firmly seated ground-level marker nearby, complete with an embossed X for the actual point.

Ah!

By adamg
Sun, 08/07/2022 - 9:32pm

There was indeed a little metal tube next to the post, although I didn't look to see if it had an X on what looked like its cap.

It should have other information

By lbb
Mon, 08/08/2022 - 9:50am

If it's a corporate boundary, as most of these are, it will have other markings indicating exactly what marker it is. Navigating between these is a great map-and-compass exercise.

God can be very literal.

By MrZip
Sun, 08/07/2022 - 7:47pm

I would like to think of this in the context of a religious "witness", the message? We must protect our environment. Clear signs from God everyday, just watch the Weather Channel for a bit. The Post is just a good place to proselytize? I don't know, I'm a heathen, but I do like the idea of a "witness post".