Denver’s mile-high status is set in stone. Again. The new location of Denver’s mile-high marker at the State Capitol is on the 17th step.
Previous Markers
The latest marker joins three older attempts on the 15th, 18th and 13th steps, from measurements taken in 1909, 1969, and 2003, respectively. The height of a vertical mile has proven to be a fickle measurement to nail down.
A team of researchers and land surveyors worked to take final measurements before deciding on the 17th step. "We’re going to determine where it will go today, but we will not set the mark until next year," Brian Shaw, the project lead, said.
National Significance
The effort to re-find what "one mile above sea level" actually means is not just important to Denver and its commitment to being known as the Mile High City. It matters for the country at large. Researchers with the National Geodetic Survey at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been working for the last 18 years to update spatial measurements, including the vertical mile.
"We’re excited about it because it’s going to help make better floodplain maps. It’ll help make better nautical charts, all these things," National Geodetic Survey researcher Derek van Westrum said.
Original reporting: Denverite — read the source article.
