There are 37 principal meridians in the national survey, which are referred to when. The numbering changes directions in the third tier from right to left. Townships are further divided into 36 sections of one square mile each. You may even see a question or two about the numbering system used for sections. Each piece of land is measured only from one meridian, and it may not be the one closest in proximity to the piece of land. How Do You Use the Rectangular Survey System? Because the rectangular or government survey system was instituted when the United States was a new country, it was used to describe most of the land west of the original 13 colonies, so most of you are likely to see some questions about this system.\r\n\r\nLongitude and latitude are imaginary lines that divide the earth through the north and south poles (longitude) and run parallel with the equator (latitude). Doing the math, its 1/2 1/4 640 = 80 acres.

\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_274746\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"556\"]\"quarter A quarter section can be split into smaller parts. Then the numbering drops down to 13 and goes right to left again and so forth:

\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_274749\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"532\"]\"townships\" Townships are divided into 36 sections numbered consecutively. We know that there are 640 acres in one section, and we are taking a 1/4 of a 1/2 section. The PLSS is actually a series of surveys that divide land into townships that are six miles. In the survey method, there has to be the creation of an initial point. [/caption]\r\n\r\nA full rectangular survey system property description might read:\r\n
The SW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of Section 6, Township 4 South, Range 5, East of the Third Principal Meridian. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The land is then further divided into quadrangles. Guide meridians and standard parallels form quadrangles. Also Check: Government Regulations For Nonprofit Organizations. You need to know what these lines are called and how they intersect for your real estate license exam. The land can be further divided into even smaller sections by dividing the halves or quarters into smaller halves or quarters. Monuments are also placed at quarter-section corners and at other important points, such as the corners of government lots. Sections also are numbered consecutively. The image does not specifically designate which meridian or state, but as they are all divided and labeled the same, this could represent any section of land along any meridian that would be identified in the legal description. Using the Fifth Principal Meridian in Missouri, the description would look like this: The W 1/2 of the SE 1/4 of Section 14, Township 2 South, Range 3 West of the Fifth Principal Meridian, Missouri. The rectangular survey or government survey describes land by reference to a. An area bounded on two sides by guide meridians and on the other two sides by correction lines is called a government check, check, or quadrangle, which is 24 miles square, meaning each of its boundaries is 24 miles long. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Section 1 within any township is always located at the upper right or northeast corner of the township. Metes and bounds were used as the primary survey method before 1785 and were fairly inaccurate, especially before GPS technology. Real Estate License Wizard2009 MacKenzie WaySuite 100Cranberry Twp, PA 16066Phone: (412) 212-3240Email: info [at] realestatelicensewizard.com. It is extended north from the Base Line and runs at 24 miles east and west from the principal meridian. 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John A. Yoegel, PhD, is a certified real estate instructor and former board member of the Real Estate Educators Association. Half sections have an area of 320 acres. The implementation of the system begins with the identification of the reference lines: the east-west line called the Base Line and the north-south line is also known for the name principal meridian. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. . Take for example there is a shared baseline in both Nebraska and Kansas as both states border is at the 40th parallel north. For example, how many acres are there if you take the North East of the South 1/2 of section 3 in township 8 North and range 5 west? The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Police Power in Real Estate Significance & Examples | What is Police Power? You got it: Tic tac toe. Pages 336 Townships are 36 miles square, 6 miles on each side, and are located within quadrangles. -also known as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), because it was originally, used to survey federally owned blocks of land-is regulated by the, The rectangular government survey system is used in 30 western and southern states. For example, a Bound could be a road, tree, river, or large rock. Think about two more lines running up and down the page on top of the first two lines, also about an inch apart. You can drill down by clicking on the land map, but you need to click the calc button to get the latitude and longitude. Just because they are referred to as government lots does not mean the government owns the land they contain. A township in this system can be both a line and the square of land created by the township lines and range lines. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. The system uses Metes, which are straight lines connecting two points, and Bounds, which are identifiable aspects of a property. (The figure below shows a variety of divisions in a quarter section. Baselines run parallel to the earths equator, from east to west. As each territory or state opened new public lands, the government identified a meridian (running north and south) and a base line (running east and west) to guide all future land surveys in that area. Dont Miss: American Government A Brief Introduction. In legal documents, such as a lien, deed, trust deed, mortgage, and sales contract, courts require an exact description of where a piece of land is located. Also Check: When Is Open Enrollment For Government Healthcare. The Rectangular Survey System, also known as the Government Survey System or Public Land Survey System, is a method of plotting land boundaries in the United States using a large grid made up of rectangles. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. It was originally proposed by U.S. President Thomas Jefferson as a means of keeping track of the ever-expanding land area of the United States. There are two separate and distinct systems of land surveys in the United States: System of metes and bounds in which each parcel of land is . Quadrangles have an area of 576 square miles, more or less, and are divided into 16 townships.\r\n \t

  • Townships: The divisions of a quadrangle, townships, are six miles square (six miles on each side) and are delineated by township lines. The townships are consecutively numbered by their location within the intersection of multiple range lines and township lines. If you want to define smaller properties, we can take the southeast of section 3, which will only be 160 acres. But the final plan included subdivision of the lands into townships, then into sections and further into aliquot parts. The first is the Metes and Bounds surveythe second is the Rectangular Survey System, also known as the Government Survey System or Public Lands Survey System. The grid creates six-mile square townships that can then be further divided into 36 sections of one square mile each. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Youre likely to see at least a few questions on the real estate license exams on calculating the area of part of a section, and youll also see questions about terminology and some of the measurements that the rectangular survey system uses. Section information is added to the property description as such: Missouri, Fifth Principal Meridian, T5S, R4W, sec 24. Guide meridians run north to south, parallel with principal meridians. Moreover, the astronomical observations will then determine the areas latitude and longitude. Actual Notice in Real Estate: Types & Examples | What is Actual Notice? An area bounded on two sides by guide meridians and on the other two sides by correction lines is called a government check, check, or quadrangle, which is 24 miles square, meaning each of its boundaries is 24 miles long. Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. There are few subdivisions beyond the sections and quarter sections. You may be asked to identify sections in the Rectangular Survey System, so remember the order from specific to general. . 2021 KnowYourGovernment.netContact us: [emailprotected], Introduction to administration of Web Survey System Part 2, Estimating a weighted average CSR2 in Iowa using the USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey, How To Find Lost Money From The Government, What Is The Interest Rate On Government Student Loans, Local Government Federal Credit Union App, When Is Open Enrollment For Government Healthcare, Government Grants For Commercial Real Estate, Government Regulations For Nonprofit Organizations, Surveyor General of the Northwest Territory, Energy Efficient Windows Government Grants, Mortgage Loans For Federal Government Employees, Free Government Foreclosure Listings With Pictures. For the real estate exam, youll need to know the two primary survey methods. For example, you can say the east of section 3. That means the property is 320 acres and located on the east half of that section. In other words, after section number 6, it drops down to 7 on the next tier then goes left to right to number 12. Yes, but first you need to know the dimensions and measurements of a township. Definition of "Government rectangular survey". You can think of this system as a gigantic checkerboard, as it has a bunch of intersecting lines that form squares into a grid. as starting points.