Public Land Survey System PLSS

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Public Land Survey System(PLSS)
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• The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) was
  developed by the Continental Congress to replace
  the common practice of describing land by metes
  and bounds.

The PLSS is also called the Rectangular System of
Land Description.
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• The metes and bounds system was developed in
  Europe over a period of many years.
• It uses natural land marks and low precision
  measuring to define boundaries.
• A typical metes and bounds description could read

From the point on the north bank of Muddy Creek
one mile above the junction of Muddy and Indian
Creeks, north for 400 yards, then northwest to
the large standing rock, west to the large oak
tree, south to Muddy Creek, then down the center
of the creek to the starting point.
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Land_Survey_Sy
stemApplying_the_system
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• Problems with the metes and bounds system

Irregular shapes for properties make for much
more complex descriptions. Over time, these
descriptions become problematic as trees die or
streams move by erosion. It wasnt useful for
the large, newly surveyed tracts of land being
opened in the west, which were being sold sight
unseen to investors.
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• Do we still use the metes and bounds system?
• Yes

?
It is used for irregular shaped parcels of land.
Instead of visual description of landmarks,
angles and distances are used.
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Public Land Surveying System (PLSS)

• The beginning of the current day PLSS occurred
  with the passage of the Land Ordnance Act of 1785.

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Land Ordnance Act of 1785

Purpose To facilitate disposal (either via sale
or simple giveaways) of lands west of the
Appalachian Mountains that the U.S. government
had acquired from the British after the end of
the Revolutionary War.
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Disposing of this land was a very high priority
for the young U.S. Government, for several
reasons

• 1. U.S. soldiers had been promised land in
  return for their service during the Revolutionary
  War,
• 2. The government needed the money from the land
  sales (there was no tax system in place at that
  time),
• 3. Settlers were needed in the western lands to
  defend the nation's frontier from ongoing Indian
  attacks.

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• The first use of the PLSS was Ohio.
• This system was changed before the PLSS was
  applied to the great plains and other areas.

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PLSS Use
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PLSS Terminology
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Initial Point

• The first step in the PLSS, rectangular system,
  was the establishment of the initial point within
  the territory.

Star sights where the most common method used.
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Initial points and Base lines In U.S.
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• The initial points for Oklahoma were established
  using star sights to establish the desired
  latitude and longitude.

Indian Meridian Latitude 34-29-32, Longitude
97-14-49 Cimarron meridian Latitude 36-30-05,
Longitude 103-00-07
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Base line

• The next step was to establish a baseline.
• The baseline passes through the initial point.
• It could not be a straight line because all
  points along the line are an equal distance from
  the north pole.
• In some surveys the base line was adjusted for
  curvature every 9 miles.

The base line was established to the east and to
the west from the initial point, border to border
across the territory being surveyed.
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Prime Meridian

• Meridians are geographic lines that pass through
  both poles and divide the earth into sections.
• Many initial points were picked so they were on a
  principle meridian.
• These are also call the prime meridian.

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Standard Parallels

• Standard parallels are East-West lines that are
  parallel to the base line.
• They are numbered north and south of the base
  line.
• Standard parallels are 24 miles apart.

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Guide Meridians

• Guide meridians are established at 24 mile
  intervals along the base line and standard
  parallels.
• Guide meridians are not parallel to the principle
  meridian because they are 90o to the base line,
  or standard parallel and the base line is curved.
  
• Guide meridians are not continuous. There is an
  offset at each standard parallel (24 miles).

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Guide Meridians--cont.

• Guide meridians can not be perpendicular to the
  base line and parallel to each other because the
  base line is curved.

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Township

• A pair of standard parallels and a pair of guide
  meridians forms a quadrangle.
• Each quadrangle is divided into 16 townships.
• Townships are identified by tier and row.

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Section

• Each township is divided into 36 sections.
• The sections are numbered in a serpentine route
  starting at the upper right corner of the
  township.

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Fractions of Section

• Fractions of 1/2 and 1/4 are used to describe
  parts of a section.
• Irregular lots caused by drainage ways, or other
  reasons, are numbered.

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Determine the descriptions for each of the
labeled areas.
A SE1/4, S23, T4S, R6W, IM B
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Sometimes it helps to draw the lines on the
section.

• SE1/4, SW1/4, NW1/4, S23, T4S, R6W, IM
• C SE1/4, NW01/4, NW1/4 SW1/4, NW1/4 NE1/4,
  S23, T46, R6 W, IM
• D S8, T46, R6 W, IM

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DETERMINE THE DESCRIPTION FOR EACH AREA.
A N1/2, NW1/4, S21, T7S, R6E, IM
B SW1/4, NE1/4, S21, T7S, R6E, IM
C SE1/4, SW1/4 SW14, SE1/4, S21, T7S, R6E, IM
D SW1/4, NW1/4, SW1/4, S21, T7S, R6E, IM
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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