A desire to provide more reliable electrical power to parts of eastern Colorado has evolved from lines on maps to a series of markers, one every 3 miles, across parts of eastern Colorado and western Kansas. The markers are survey reference points located by Ayres Associates surveyors that will help determine the eventual route of an 800-foot-wide, 1,000-mile-long high-voltage transmission line.

Surveyors searched for monuments originally established in the 1800s, which in some cases turned out to be etched stones or cedar stakes. Methodically they established a series of high-accuracy survey points – the Eastern Plains Reference Network – which will guide surveyors for years to come.

Then technicians used aerial photography to create accurate maps that show structures, roads, and other features that could affect the ultimate corridor location. Ayres Associates also used LiDAR (light detecting and ranging), in which a laser “read” the contours of the land to create 2-foot contour images of the proposed route. These mapping technologies were combined to create a complete picture of the entire corridor.