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Datums Page Page 1 of 5
Station ID: 8658559 PUBLICATION DATE: 05/23/2003
Name: WILMINGTON BEACH
NC
NOAA Chart: 11539 Latitude: 34° 1.9' N ( 34.03170)
USGS Quad: CAROLINA BEACH Longitude: 77° 53.6' W ( -77.89330)
To reach the tidal bench marks from the town of Carolina Beach, proceed south on
U.S. Highway 421 for 2.4 km (1.5 mi) to Center Fishing Pier on Wilmington Beach.
The bench marks are along Highway 421 near the pier. The tide gage and staff
were at the seaward end of Center Fishing Pier.
T I D A L B E N C H M A R K S
PRIMARY BENCH MARK STAMPING: NO 1 1956
DESIGNATION: 865 8559 TIDAL 1
MONUMENTATION: Tidal Station disk VM#: 3591
AGENCY: US Coast and Geodetic Survey
(USC&GS) IDB PID#: EA0672
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Concrete post OPUS PID:
LATITUDE: 34° 1.2' N ( 34.02000) LONGITUDE: 77° 53.8' W ( -77.89670)
The primary bench mark is a disk set in a concrete post near the NW edge of a
parking area, 46.79 m (153.5 ft) NW of the NW end of the pier and about in line
with the centerline of the pier, 9 m (30 ft) SE of the centerline of the
highway, 3.51 m (11.5 ft) NW of a pole with floodlight, 2.59 m (8.5 ft) SE of
the east corner of a steel drain grating, and 0.3 m (1 ft) above the ground.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Page 2 of 5
Station ID: 8658559 PUBLICATION DATE: 05/23/2003
Name: WILMINGTON BEACH
NC
NOAA Chart: 11539 Latitude: 34° 1.9' N ( 34.03170)
USGS Quad: CAROLINA BEACH Longitude: 77° 53.6' W ( -77.89330)
T I D A L B E N C H M A R K S
BENCH MARK STAMPING: NO 2 1956
DESIGNATION: 865 8559 TIDAL 2
MONUMENTATION: Tidal Station disk VM#: 3592
AGENCY: US Coast and Geodetic Survey
(USC&GS) IDB PID#: EA0675
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Concrete post OPUS PID:
LATITUDE: 34° 1.3' N ( 34.02170) LONGITUDE: 77° 53.8' W ( -77.89670)
The bench mark is a disk set in a concrete post across the highway from Center
Fishing Pier, 8.72 m (28.6 ft) NW of the centerline of the highway, 4.48 m (14.7
ft) east of the east corner of the Spencer Motel office motel, 4.11 m (13.5 ft)
south of the south corner of the Manning Motel office building, 1.37 m (4.5 ft)
NW of the SE end of a property line board fence, and 3 cm (0.1 ft) above the
ground.
BENCH MARK STAMPING: NO 3 1956
DESIGNATION: 865 8559 TIDAL 3
MONUMENTATION: Tidal Station disk VM#: 3593
AGENCY: US Coast and Geodetic Survey
(USC&GS) IDB PID#: EA0676
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Concrete post OPUS PID:
LATITUDE: 34° 1.3' N ( 34.02170) LONGITUDE: 77° 53.8' W ( -77.89670)
The bench mark is a disk set in a concrete post located at the west corner of a
lot, 69 m (226 ft) NW of the centerline of the highway, 60.20 m (197.5 ft) NW of
bench mark NO 2 1956, 6.77 m (22.2 ft) west of the west corner of the Manning
Motel, and 6 cm (0.2 ft) below the ground.
BENCH MARK STAMPING: F 163 1963
DESIGNATION: F 163
MONUMENTATION: Bench Mark disk VM#: 3594
AGENCY: US Coast and Geodetic Survey
(USC&GS) IDB PID#: EA0674
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Copper-clad steel rod OPUS PID:
LATITUDE: 34° 1.3' N ( 34.02170) LONGITUDE: 77° 53.8' W ( -77.89670)
The bench mark is a disk located near Center Fishing Pier, 44.04 m (144.5 ft)
west of the NW corner of the Center Fishing Pier restaurant, 14.45 m (47.4 ft)
east of the centerline of the highway, 5 m (16 ft) east of a power line pole,
and 1 m (2 ft) west of a wooden witness post. The bench mark is set 6 cm (0.2
ft) above the ground, crimped to a copper-clad steel rod driven 17.1 m (56 ft),
and encased in a PVC pipe and concrete kickblock.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Page 3 of 5
Station ID: 8658559 PUBLICATION DATE: 05/23/2003
Name: WILMINGTON BEACH
NC
NOAA Chart: 11539 Latitude: 34° 1.9' N ( 34.03170)
USGS Quad: CAROLINA BEACH Longitude: 77° 53.6' W ( -77.89330)
T I D A L B E N C H M A R K S
BENCH MARK STAMPING: NO 4 1972
DESIGNATION: 865 8559 TIDAL 4
MONUMENTATION: Bench Mark disk VM#: 3595
AGENCY: NC Geodetic Survey (NCGS) IDB PID#: EA1285
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Concrete slab OPUS PID:
LATITUDE: 34° 1.3' N ( 34.02170) LONGITUDE: 77° 53.8' W ( -77.89670)
The bench mark is a disk set flush in a drill hole in a concrete slab for a
metal shed located near the Center Fishing Pier on the east side of the highway,
43 m (142 ft) NE of bench mark No 1 1956, 30 m (100 ft) east of the centerline
of US Highway 421, and 3 m (10 ft) north of a white wooden fence between the
motel and the parking area of the Center Pier restaurant.
BENCH MARK STAMPING: NO 5 1972
DESIGNATION: 865 8559 TIDAL 5
MONUMENTATION: Bench Mark disk VM#: 3596
AGENCY: NC Geodetic Survey (NCGS) IDB PID#: EA1286
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Concrete drive way OPUS PID:
LATITUDE: 34° 1.3' N ( 34.02170) LONGITUDE: 77° 53.8' W ( -77.89670)
The bench mark is a disk set flush in a drill hole in the concrete drive way
leading to the garage of the Golden Sand Motel, 12.19 m (40 ft) east of the
centerline of US Highway 421, and 1 m (4 ft) east of the NW corner of the motel.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Page 4 of 5
Station ID: 8658559 PUBLICATION DATE: 05/23/2003
Name: WILMINGTON BEACH
NC
NOAA Chart: 11539 Latitude: 34° 1.9' N ( 34.03170)
USGS Quad: CAROLINA BEACH Longitude: 77° 53.6' W ( -77.89330)
T I D A L D A T U M S
Tidal datums at WILMINGTON BEACH based on:
LENGTH OF SERIES: 4 MONTHS
TIME PERIOD: March 1977 - June 1977
TIDAL EPOCH: 1983-2001
CONTROL TIDE STATION: 8658120 WILMINGTON, CAPE FEAR RIVER
Elevations of tidal datums referred to Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW), in METERS:
MEAN HIGHER HIGH WATER MHHW = 1.433
MEAN HIGH WATER MHW = 1.329
North American Vertical Datum NAVD88 = 0.902
MEAN TIDE LEVEL MTL = 0.688
MEAN SEA LEVEL MSL = 0.686
MEAN LOW WATER MLW = 0.047
MEAN LOWER LOW WATER MLLW = 0.000
North American Vertical Datum (NAVD88)
Bench Mark Elevation Information In METERS above:
Stamping or Designation MLLW MHW
NO 1 1956 4.350 3.021
NO 2 1956 4.239 2.910
NO 3 1956 4.104 2.775
F 163 1963 4.176 2.847
NO 4 1972 4.552 3.223
NO 5 1972 4.345 3.016
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Page 5 of 5
Station ID: 8658559 PUBLICATION DATE: 05/23/2003
Name: WILMINGTON BEACH
NC
NOAA Chart: 11539 Latitude: 34° 1.9' N ( 34.03170)
USGS Quad: CAROLINA BEACH Longitude: 77° 53.6' W ( -77.89330)
D E F I N I T I O N S
Mean Sea Level (MSL) is a tidal datum determined over a 19-year National Tidal
Datum Epoch. It pertains to local mean sea level and should not be confused
with the fixed datums of North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88).
NAVD88 is a fixed datum derived from a simultaneous, least squares, minimum
constraint adjustment of Canadian/Mexican/United States leveling observations.
Local mean sea level observed at Father Point/Rimouski, Canada was held fixed as
the single initial constraint. NAVD88 replaces NGVD29 as the national
standard geodetic reference for heights. Bench mark elevations relative to
NAVD88 are available from NGS through the World Wide Web at
National Geodetic Survey.
NGVD29 is a fixed datum adopted as a national standard geodetic reference for
heights but is now considered superseded. NGVD29 is sometimes referred to as
Sea Level Datum of 1929 or as Mean Sea Level on some early issues of Geological
Survey Topographic Quads. NGVD29 was originally derived from a general
adjustment of the first-order leveling networks of the U.S. and Canada after
holding mean sea level observed at 26 long term tide stations as fixed.
Numerous local and wide-spread adjustments have been made since establishment in
1929. Bench mark elevations relative to NGVD29 are available from the National
Geodetic Survey (NGS) data base via the World Wide Web at
National Geodetic Survey.
NAVD88 and NGVD29 are fixed geodetic datums whose elevation relationships to
local MSL and other tidal datums may not be consistent from one location to
another.
The Vertical Mark Number (VM#) and PID# shown on the bench mark sheet are unique
identifiers for bench marks in the tidal and geodetic databases, respectively.
Each bench mark in either database has a single, unique VM# and/or PID# assigned.
Where both VM# and PID# are indicated, both tidal and geodetic elevations are
available for the bench mark listed. The NGS's Integrated Data Base (IDB PID)
provides geodetic datum based on traditionally leveled and bluebooked ties to
the National Spatial Reference System(NSRS) https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/datasheets/.
The NGS Online Positioning User Service (OPUS PID) provides geodetic datum based
on GPS position & tie it to the NSRS https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/OPUS/.
The NAVD88 elevation is shown on the Elevations of Tidal Datums Table Referred
to MLLW only when two or more of the bench marks listed have NAVD88 elevations.
The NAVD88 elevation relationship shown in the table is derived from an average
of several bench mark elevations relative to tide station datum. As a result of
this averaging, NAVD88 bench mark elevations computed indirectly from the tidal
datums elevation table may differ slightly from NAVD88 elevations listed for
each bench mark in the NGS database.