Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
to assist one in making important early site-planning and later design
decisions.
Topographic maps published by the United State Geological Sur-
vey (USGS) are often the first maps landscape architects and other
design professionals go to, in the early stages of a project. These maps
are available for free in the form of PDF files online from www.USGS.
gov or can be purchased as hard-copy maps. Local surveying supply,
drafting supply, and outdoor outfitter stores often maintain a supply
of local USGS maps. Each USGS map is assigned a unique name, usu-
ally selected from a local prominent geographical feature or place
name. For example: the USGS map Mt. Tamaulipas is named after a
prominent landmark located in Marin County, north of San Francisco,
California. USGS quad maps are useful for doing early research on a
prospective project site; for instance, when one needs background
information for developing an A/E
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professional services proposal,
and then later when one is preparing a scope of work and fee proposal
to the client. A topographic map is useful in the early planning stages
of a project in a number of ways, including:
Identifying potential locations for the project program elements, such as the
best location for buildings, roads, and outdoor use areas.
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Creating a very useful preplanning and site design map for making a prelim-
inary site analysis and inventory of key landscape features, including existing
conditions on-site and in the surrounding context.
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Delineating the limits where design surveying is necessary and potential
areas where geotechnical information about soils will be needed. It is not
always necessary to survey an entire project property, particularly large
parcels of land. As survey and geotechnical investigations can be expensive,
limiting the area surveyed would reduce costs (a saving to the client).
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The USGS publishes approximately 57,000 different topographic
maps covering the United States and its territories (see Figure 5.3). USGS
1 Architectural and engineering professional service firms including landscape architecture firms
