What is this?

Really random question, what is this in my picture? I moved a year ago and I know from talking with neighbors that a development had been planned for the woods behind my house back in the 90's. The developer never got past the planning stage and ended up defaulting on taxes so much of the land now belongs to the town, but these white posts are scattered around and I'm just curious what they are for?

 

gas release tube? like the methane release tubes at dumps, but just a guess

 

Perk test locations maybe, just a guess.

 

is there anything in it?

 

It's a groundwater monitoring well. Used to track groundwater levels and flow direction. In this case likely used to determine whether or not development would affect the hydrology of the area and potentially damage a wetland ecosystem.

http://www.amiadini.com/newsletters/envEnl-172.html

 

That would make sense, it's a low area and there's definitely wetland mixed into it. The developer dig a series of drainage ditches and a catch basin, I wonder of they were worried about houses getting flooded? Overall it seems like a terrible idea and I can't believe they actually thought out would work.