NDSP Menu

Redirecting...

National Datums and Subsidence Program

Mission Statement

To effect a fundamental change in the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) by implementing a nationwide reference system and subsidence standard methodology for updating geodetic and water level information within USACE projects and systems of projects. This will involve initiating and populating a database, providing and updating guidance manuals containing references to elevations and datums, developing certification process and providing training to reach certification, and developing standard methodologies.

Program Background

Vertical datums typically represent a terrestrial or earth-based surface to which geospatial coordinates (such as elevations or depths) are referenced. The vertical datum is the base foundation for nearly all civil and military design, engineering, and construction projects in the Corps—especially those civil projects that interface with water. Elevations or depths may be referred to local or regional reference datums. These reference datums may deviate spatially over a region, due to a variety of reasons. They may also have temporal deviations due to land subsidence or uplift, sea level changes, crustal/plate motion, or periodic readjustments to their origin or to defined points on the reference surface.

Objective

Implement a nationwide datum and subsidence standard methodology for the Corps, initiate and populate database, provide and update guidance manuals containing references to elevations and datums, develop certification process and provide training to reach certification, and develop standard methodology for updating geodetic and water level information within projects.