Contour lines on a site plan indicate elevations.

Contour lines on a site plan indicate elevations.

• A. Soil types
• B. Elevation
• C. Property boundaries
• D. Drainage patterns

Answer: (B)

Contour lines convey elevation. Each line connects all points at the same height above a reference datum (usually mean sea level). The spacing of the lines shows slope: closely spaced lines mean a steeper slope, while widely spaced lines indicate a gentler grade. This information is critical for grading, locating building pads, driveways, and drainage planning, and for identifying high points and low points on the site. So, the contour lines themselves indicate elevation changes, not soil types, property boundaries, or drainage patterns. Soil types are shown on soils maps derived from soil surveys, property boundaries come from survey or parcel data, and drainage features are shown separately (though you can infer drainage direction from elevation changes).

Contour lines convey elevation. Each line connects all points at the same height above a reference datum (usually mean sea level). The spacing of the lines shows slope: closely spaced lines mean a steeper slope, while widely spaced lines indicate a gentler grade. This information is critical for grading, locating building pads, driveways, and drainage planning, and for identifying high points and low points on the site.

So, the contour lines themselves indicate elevation changes, not soil types, property boundaries, or drainage patterns. Soil types are shown on soils maps derived from soil surveys, property boundaries come from survey or parcel data, and drainage features are shown separately (though you can infer drainage direction from elevation changes).