Witness posts are markers placed near survey monuments or boundary markers to indicate their location. These posts are usually brightly colored and made from durable materials like metal or plastic, ensuring they stand out in various environments.
What is the purpose of a witness post?
The primary purpose of a witness post is to protect and highlight the nearby survey marker, which could be a metal rod, a concrete monument, or another type of boundary marker embedded in the ground.
A way finder for survey markers
Survey markers, often small and at ground level, can be hard to find, especially in vegetated areas. Survey markers are typically inconspicuous, making them difficult to spot, especially in dense vegetation or cluttered environments.
Witness posts, often tall and brightly colored, significantly enhance the visibility of these markers. This increased visibility ensures that survey markers can be easily located when needed, whether for land surveys, property assessments, or legal purposes.
Witness posts are typically placed in areas where the survey marker would be hard to find
Since the main function of the witness post is to help guide a person to the location of the survey marker, they tend to be found in locations where vegetation and other obstructions might make locating the marker difficult.
This witness post in Pall Alto’s Bayland Nature Preserve identifies that a survey marker is nearby in a wetland area.