Township Flashcards

Public Land Survey System (PLSS)

• Rectangular government survey system also known as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS).
• Originally used for land surveys regulated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
• BLM manages federally owned land blocks and is regulated by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
• PLSS is not used nationally; it applies to 30 western and southern states, excluding most East Coast states, with Florida as an exception, and Texas.

Structure of PLSS

• Comprises a series of surveys dividing land into townships, sections, ranges, and parcels.
• Each township measures six miles by six miles, covering an area of 36 square miles, equating to 23,040 acres.
• A township contains 36 sections, each section comprising one square mile (640 acres).
• Sections can be divided into quarter sections, quarter-quarter sections, or irregular government lots.

Surveying and Designation

• Surveys begin from an initial point, with townships surveyed in all directions.
• The north-south line through the initial point is called the principal meridian.
• There are 37 principal meridians used in the national survey for various surveys and land distinctions.
• The east-west line through the initial point is known as a base line; non-initial point east-west lines are referred to as township lines.
• Non-initial point north-south lines are termed range lines.

Township Identification

• Township identification example: Township 6, Range 1 West indicates the 6th tier of townships north of a base line, in the first column west of a principal meridian.
• Township grid reading starts from the northeastern corner, following a zigzag pattern.

Legal Descriptions and Reading Survey Descriptions

• Legal descriptions include state, principal meridian name, township and range designations, and section number.
• Rectangular survey descriptions require interpreting parcels by reading directions right to left.

Parcel Size and Calculations

• Size of parcels can be computed based on sections; a section is one square mile (640 acres).
• NW¼ of a section is 0.25 square miles (160 acres), SE¼ of NW¼ is 0.0625 square miles (40 acres), S½ of SE¼ is 0.03125 square miles (20 acres).
• Alternate calculation method for shaded parcels involves ½ x ¼ x ¼ = 1/32 of the section resulting in 20 acres.

True/False Statements

• Not all states have a principal meridian; thus, the statement is false.
• Sections are indeed one square mile in size; hence, true.
• The system effectively divides land into townships and further into sections and fractions; this is true.
• PLSS is not used throughout the U.S.; therefore, that statement is false.
• The BLM under the U.S. Department of the Interior oversees the PLSS, making this statement true.