What should a topographic survey include according to Tennessee Survey Practice?

A topographic survey must include visible surface indications of physical features because its primary objective is to represent the three-dimensional characteristics of the land. This includes elevations, contours, and the relationship between different features such as hills, valleys, water bodies, and existing structures. Accurately depicting these surface features allows stakeholders, such as engineers and landscape architects, to understand the terrain and make informed decisions regarding construction, land use, and planning.

Photographic evidence of property boundaries, historical data of land use, and environmental impact assessments, while important in certain contexts, do not specifically pertain to the primary goals of a topographic survey. These elements might be relevant in a comprehensive land evaluation or different types of surveys, but they do not directly contribute to the essential purpose of mapping topography, which is to display the physical characteristics of the land itself.