Reconnaissance for Dam Sites in Remote Areas

River reconnaissance studies generally separate into three stages: literature search, interviews with knowledgeable people, and field investigations. The reconnaissance engineer should screen general literature about the reconnaissance area before branching out into more detailed descriptions. The engineer will interview people who are familiar with the area and ask about problems he might face. Before going into the area the engineer-geologist team should make an aerial reconnaissance. Aerial and ground reconnaissance information must be very carefully observed, recorded and illustrated because the trip will probably never be repeated. The team will use field notes, sketches, marked-up maps, photographs and tape-records to record field information. The Trip Report, consisting of a series of sit reports, should be reviewed by the client before the team leaves the field. A standard format for each site report would be: (1) A compressed main report with recommendations; (2) an appendix containing copies of pertinent field notes; and (3) a file with all the original field notes.