Figuring out the size of a piece of property, which sometimes is called a parcel, is simple, if you keep in mind that youre always dealing with a section of 640 acres. Range lines run north and south between the principal meridians and are spaced out every six miles. 27 chapters | The numbering changes directions in the third tier from right to left. Putting the above description into words is half of a quarter section. They are the starting points for describing a propertys boundaries. It will serve as the basis for surveys of government in a specified area under its jurisdiction. The legal description of the property's location usually begins with the state and the principal meridian number followed by the township information. It is a rectangular approach to surveying the land breaking the district down to quadrangles of 24 miles. In reality, because of this earth curvature issue, many sections and townships vary from their exact area measurements. Although the lines start out the same distance apart, they get closer together as you get near one or the other end of the ball.\r\n\r\nCorrection lines and guide meridians were established to correct this problem in the government survey system. 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? Principal meridians, baselines, and where they intersect (cross each other) are used as the basis for formulating property descriptions in this system. The rectangular survey system is based on principal meridians and base lines determined by precise scientific measurements. Using principal meridians and baselines as points of reference, land areas are divided by two kinds of lines, township lines and range lines. A system of fractional sections and government lots are parts of standard practice to account for these discrepancies.\r\n\r\nSo how does the system describe land? ","description":"The rectangular survey system, often referred to as the government survey system, is based on a system of lines that form rectangles and squares throughout the United States. She has a Masters in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University and a Bachelor's in English from Thomas Edison State University. This system utilizes a system of rectangular coordinates to create a map of a parcel of land. The rectangular survey system is the method of forming specific plots, used commonly in the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) in America. Doing the math, its 1/2 1/4 640 = 80 acres. The area created by the intersection of a township line and a range line is a township. The description is abbreviated as T1N, R2E. Dont Miss: Can The Government Help Me With Rent. Township lines, which run east and west, parallel to baselines, are horizontal parallel lines that form township tiers. So, you can refer to the south (S) 1/2 of the northwest (NW) 1/4 of a section in a township, for example. The first sets of lines respectively are called principal meridians, which run north and south, and baselines, which run east and west. Monuments are also placed at quarter-section corners and at other important points, such as the corners of government lots. The principal meridians and baselines are based respectively on lines of longitude and latitude.\r\n\r\nYoure likely to see at least a few questions on the 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. A full rectangular survey system property description might read: By entering your email address and clicking the Submit button, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Dummies.com, which may include marketing promotions, news and updates. The townships are consecutively numbered by their location within the intersection of multiple range lines and township lines. As mentioned above, basically you can think of the US as a huge checkerboard, with vertical and horizontal lines splitting it up. Tenancy at Will Laws & Examples | What is an Estate at Will? document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Sign up for the newsletter to get exclusive real estate exam tips that I don't share anywhere else. Halves are 320 acres, and quarters are each 160 acres. 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. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Imagine trying to draw straight lines on a rubber ball. The boundary of each township is 6 miles long, so a township contains 36 square miles and is described as being 6 miles square. They are often combined to create a more accurate map of property boundaries. Remember, a township is 6 miles by 6 miles. Many plans have been made on how to subdivide the public domain lands. School University of Minnesota, Duluth; Course Title MARKETING MISC; Uploaded By MajorTarsierMaster692. Rectangular Government Survey System The rectangular government survey system -also known as the Public Land Survey Think about two lines running from left to right across this page about an inch apart. Townships have an area of 36 square miles, more or less, and are each further divided into 36 sections.