Government Survey System
The government survey system, also known as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), is a method used by the United States government to survey and divide land into standardized parcels for sale and settlement. The PLSS was established in the late 18th century and has since become the basis for land ownership and legal descriptions in many states.
Key components of the government survey system include:
1. Principal Meridians and Baselines: The PLSS divides the United States into a grid-like pattern of townships and ranges, starting from principal meridians (north-south lines) and baselines (east-west lines). These meridians and baselines serve as reference points for measuring distances and determining the location of land parcels.
2. Townships and Ranges: The PLSS divides land into a series of townships, which are six-mile by six-mile squares. Each township is further subdivided into 36 one-mile by one-mile sections, totaling 36 sections per township. Townships are numbered relative to their distance north or south of a baseline, and ranges are numbered relative to their distance east or west of a principal meridian.
3. Sections: Each township is divided into 36 sections, each containing one square mile (640 acres) of land. Sections are numbered sequentially from 1 to 36, starting in the northeast corner and proceeding west to east, then south to north.
4. Aliquot Parts: Sections can be further subdivided into smaller aliquot parts, including quarter-sections (160 acres), half-sections (320 acres), quarter-quarter sections (40 acres), and other fractional parts.
5. Legal Descriptions: Land parcels within the PLSS are commonly described using a combination of township, range, and section numbers, along with aliquot part descriptions. For example, a legal description might identify a parcel as “the northwest quarter of Section 10, Township 2 North, Range 3 East.”
The government survey system provides a standardized method for identifying and describing land parcels, making it easier for landowners, surveyors, and government agencies to determine property boundaries and ownership. While the PLSS is most commonly used in western states, many eastern states also use similar survey systems based on the PLSS principles.