Thanks so very much for all your input. I have access to GPS survey equipment, so I may use that as well as a rod and level with the light pole to monitor over the coming winter and spring, enabling me to get some hard data.
We don't really have too many roadways here in town with large culverts, but it's something I will keep an eye out for in the future. The logic behind your explanation is sound, certainly the most feasible I've had to date.
Two small items that are keeping me from buy-in: no other yard in the...
The reference the person was using for measurement would have been the front sidewalk, and those were reported/estimated measurements, I unfortunately don't have any hard data for the elevation differential. Service trenches here are typically backfilled with sand around the pipe zone only, so...
There is a tree in the yard, but it's not a terribly large one. I agree it's counter-intuitive for the settlement to be occurring in winter. A couple photos:
The grass is cut fairly short on the right, and the ground seems to be a similar elevation to the driveway and sidewalk. I do find it...
The ground had settled in reference to the adjacent driveway, sidewalk and streetlight. It's (thankfully) not in an area near the house. Worth noting we have primarily clay soils here, with the odd sand lens. While aware of frost heave, I hadn't realized it could be so uniform. The house...
I am located in northern Alberta, Canada. I have been approached by someone with a peculiar problem on his property. Over the course of the winter, the front of his property subsides, anywhere from 10 to 30cm. This settlement then starts to disappear in spring following the thaw, and by...
