Label a Dry-Weather Drainage Record Without Claiming Water Flow
A dry-weather site record can show visible layout, outlets and obstructions. It cannot show a flow event that was not observed. When preparing a drainage documentation request, distinguish the visible features from the water behavior you want investigated so the resulting record does not imply a test was performed.
Use observation labels
Describe features as visible, partly obscured or not accessed. Keep reported water history separate from observed water. If an owner supplies a wet-weather image, retain its date and origin rather than blending it into the visit as if captured at the same time.
Write the unanswered question
An image of a channel or outlet does not by itself establish capacity, subsurface continuity or cause of flooding. Identify which question needs another method or appropriate professional. Documentation can help organize that discussion without becoming a survey, engineering determination or drainage performance guarantee.
Copyable worksheet
Use one row for each field. Mark unknown information clearly and retain the original records.
| Field | Your note |
|---|---|
| Feature and zone | ____________________ |
| Visible or obscured | ____________________ |
| Visit date and observed conditions | ____________________ |
| Separately supplied event evidence | ____________________ |
| Question outside the captured record | ____________________ |
Worked example
Illustrative example: a dry culvert entrance is visible but the outlet is inaccessible. The coverage note identifies both facts. It does not say the culvert is clear throughout or that it will carry the next storm merely because the entrance looks open.