U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Datums Page Page 1 of 6
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/28/1990
Station ID: 8465233 SUPERCEDED DATE: 04/21/2003
Name: BRANFORD, BRANFORD RIVER
CONNECTICUT
NOAA Chart: 12373 Latitude: 41° 15.7' N
USGS Quad: BRANFORD Longitude: 72° 49.1' W
To reach the tidal bench marks from the intersection of U.S. Highway 1 and State
Highway 142 in Branford, proceed south on State Highway 142 for 0.6 mile (1.0
km), then turn left and go SE on Stannard Avenue for 0.7 mile (1.1 km) to a
four-way stop intersection, then go straight on Goodsell Point Road for 0.2 mile
(0.3 km) to Branford Yacht Club on the right. The bench marks are along Goodsell
Point Road and Harbor Street near Branford Point. The tide gage and staff were
at the south end of the westernmost pier at Branford Yacht Club.
T I D A L B E N C H M A R K S
PRIMARY BENCH MARK STAMPING: 5233 A 1989
MONUMENTATION: Survey Disk VM#: 4826
AGENCY: PID:
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Concrete Retaining Wall
The bench mark is set flush in the SE end of a concrete retaining wall along the
waterfront at Branford Yacht Club, 25.4 feet (7.7 m) SE of the NW end of the
wall, 24.8 feet (7.6 m) SSW of the SW corner of the concrete base of a flagpole
in the SE yard of the club, 23.8 feet (7.3 m) NE of the edge of the bulkhead,
and 3.0 feet (0.9 m) above the pavement.
BENCH MARK STAMPING: Z 3 1922 ELV 29.537 FT
MONUMENTATION: Survey Disk VM#: 4824
AGENCY: PID#: LX0410
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Bedrock
The bench mark is set in bedrock at the west end of a rock cut which is 100 feet
(30 m) long and 20 feet (6 m) high at its highest point, along the New York, New
Haven, and Hartford Railroad, 0.3 mile (0.5 km) east of the overpass over U.S.
Highway 1, 0.1 mile (0.2 km) west of the Bridge Street overpass, 8.9 feet (2.7
m) north of the north rail of the north one of two tracks, 1.1 feet (0.3 m)
north of the south edge of the rock, and 2 feet (1 m) above the level of the
track.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Page 2 of 6
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/28/1990
Station ID: 8465233 SUPERCEDED DATE: 04/21/2003
Name: BRANFORD, BRANFORD RIVER
CONNECTICUT
NOAA Chart: 12373 Latitude: 41° 15.7' N
USGS Quad: BRANFORD Longitude: 72° 49.1' W
T I D A L B E N C H M A R K S
BENCH MARK STAMPING: E 35 1965
MONUMENTATION: Survey Disk VM#: 4825
AGENCY: PID#: LX0409
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Concrete Head Wall
The bench mark is set in top of the south end of the west concrete head wall of
a 6 foot (2 m) arched culvert, at the overpass of the New York, New Haven, and
Hartford Railroad over U.S. Highway 1, 0.1 mile (0.2 km) west along U.S. Highway
1 from its intersection with State Highway 146 (Main Street), 51 feet (16 m) NE
of the NE end of the NW abutment of the railroad overpass, 9.5 feet (2.9 m) NW
of the NW curb of the highway, 1.1 feet (0.3 m) north of the south end of the
head wall, and 1 foot (0.3 m) above the level of the highway.
BENCH MARK STAMPING: 5233 B 1989
MONUMENTATION: Survey Disk VM#: 4827
AGENCY: PID:
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Bedrock
The bench mark is set in bedrock at Parker Memorial Park on Harbor Street near
Branford Point, 174 feet (53 m) WSW of the NW corner of the southernmost
entrance pillar to the park, 167 feet (51 m) SSE of the SW corner of the public
restrooms building, and 21 feet (6 m) west of a 2 foot (1 m) diameter maple
tree.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Page 3 of 6
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/28/1990
Station ID: 8465233 SUPERCEDED DATE: 04/21/2003
Name: BRANFORD, BRANFORD RIVER
CONNECTICUT
NOAA Chart: 12373 Latitude: 41° 15.7' N
USGS Quad: BRANFORD Longitude: 72° 49.1' W
T I D A L B E N C H M A R K S
BENCH MARK STAMPING: 5233 C 1989
MONUMENTATION: Survey Disk VM#: 4828
AGENCY: PID:
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Bedrock
The bench mark is set in bedrock at Parker Memorial Park, along a path 180 feet
(55 m) SW of Bench Mark 5233 B 1989, 110 feet (34 m) WNW of the SW corner of the
concrete block bath house, 96 feet (29 m) NNW of the concrete and stone sea wall
on Branford Harbor, and 2.5 feet (0.8 m) above the path.
BENCH MARK STAMPING: 5233 D 1989
MONUMENTATION: Survey Disk VM#: 4829
AGENCY: PID:
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Stainless Steel Rod
The bench mark is at the NE corner of the intersection of Harbor Street,
Goodsell Point Road, and Stannard Street, 23.4 (7.1 m) NE of the centerline of
Goodsell Point Road, 21.7 feet (6.6 m) SE of the centerline of Harbor Street,
6.2 feet (1.9 m) east of CL&P power pole No. 44416, and 1.0 foot (0.3 m) NE of a
witness post next to a hedge. The bench mark is 0.3 foot (0.1 m) below ground
level, crimped to a stainless steel rod driven 56 feet (17 m) to substantial
resistance, and encased in a 5-inch PVC pipe and concrete kickblock.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Page 4 of 6
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/28/1990
Station ID: 8465233 SUPERCEDED DATE: 04/21/2003
Name: BRANFORD, BRANFORD RIVER
CONNECTICUT
NOAA Chart: 12373 Latitude: 41° 15.7' N
USGS Quad: BRANFORD Longitude: 72° 49.1' W
T I D A L B E N C H M A R K S
BENCH MARK STAMPING: NO STAMPING 1
MONUMENTATION: Brass Plug VM#: 4830
AGENCY: PID:
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Bedrock
The bench mark is a brass plug set in bedrock within a green painted triangle,
at nearly the highest point at the town dock on Branford Point, 63.5 feet (19.4
m) WNW of the north end of the stone sea wall on the west side of the town dock,
18.5 feet (5.6 m) west of the SE corner of an abandoned concrete foundation, and
1.9 feet (0.6 m) SW of the SW corner of the foundation. Note: mark is
designated B-20 with the Branford Town Engineer.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Page 5 of 6
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/28/1990
Station ID: 8465233 SUPERCEDED DATE: 04/21/2003
Name: BRANFORD, BRANFORD RIVER
CONNECTICUT
NOAA Chart: 12373 Latitude: 41° 15.7' N
USGS Quad: BRANFORD Longitude: 72° 49.1' W
T I D A L D A T U M S
Tidal datums at BRANFORD, BRANFORD RIVER based on:
LENGTH OF SERIES: 4 MONTHS
TIME PERIOD: JULY - OCTOBER 1989
TIDAL EPOCH: 1960-1978
CONTROL TIDE STATION: 8465233 BRIDGEPORT
Elevations of tidal datums referred to Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW), in FEET:
HIGHEST OBSERVED WATER LEVEL (10/19/1989) = 8.54
MEAN HIGHER HIGH WATER MHHW = 6.40
MEAN HIGH WATER MHW = 6.07
MEAN TIDE LEVEL MTL = 3.15
* NATIONAL GEODETIC VERTICAL DATUM NGVD29 = 2.54
MEAN LOW WATER MLW = 0.23
MEAN LOWER LOW WATER MLLW = 0.00
LOWEST OBSERVED WATER LEVEL (10/15/1989) = -0.88
* NGVD reference based on elevations published in Quad 410723, 1968, and NOS
leveling of 1989.
North American Vertical Datum (NAVD88)
Bench Mark Elevation Information In FEET above:
Stamping or Designation MLLW MHW
5233 A 1989 13.78 7.71
Z 3 1922 ELV 29.537 FT 32.07 26.00
E 35 1965 20.32 14.25
5233 B 1989 26.10 20.03
5233 C 1989 29.84 23.77
5233 D 1989 28.22 22.15
NO STAMPING 1 19.31 13.24
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Page 6 of 6
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/28/1990
Station ID: 8465233 SUPERCEDED DATE: 04/21/2003
Name: BRANFORD, BRANFORD RIVER
CONNECTICUT
NOAA Chart: 12373 Latitude: 41° 15.7' N
USGS Quad: BRANFORD Longitude: 72° 49.1' W
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 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.