Sections are numbered from the northeast (top right) corner, running first horizontally to the west and then down and back to the east in a serpentine pattern. The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is the surveying method developed and used in the United States to plat, or divide, real property for sale and settling.Also known as the Rectangular Survey System, it was created by the Land Ordinance of 1785.. Dont Miss: American Government A Brief Introduction. Township lines run east and west and are also found six miles apart. 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? Imagine trying to draw straight lines on a rubber ball. Yes, but first you need to know the dimensions and measurements of a township. The Rectangular Survey System can be thought of as a grid that covers the U.S. Each township is further divided into 36 sections of one square mile each, or 640 acres, by horizontal and vertical section lines. Think about two more lines running up and down the page on top of the first two lines, also about an inch apart. 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. Rectangular Survey System This is also called the section and township system or U.S. Government Section and Township Survey, established in the nineteenth century by the U.S. Surveyor General to survey public lands. Rectangular Government Survey System The rectangular government survey system -also known as the Public Land Survey Manage Settings 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? You can think of this system as a gigantic checkerboard, as it has a bunch of intersecting lines that form squares into a grid. 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. Since the earth is not flat like a checkerboard, there needed to be some adjustments made along the way to make sure everything worked out. The Base Line in United States Rectangular Survey System meets its principal meridian at the point of origin, or initial point, for the survey of the land. 1. Beginning with the Seven Ranges in present-day Ohio, the PLSS has been used as the primary survey method in the United States. Metes and bounds were used as the primary survey method before 1785 and were fairly inaccurate, especially before GPS technology. 1 Square mile is equal to 640 acres. 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. Jeff Davis with American Realty Academy, covering the infamous Government Rectangular Survey. Those quadrangles are divided into smaller squares called townships. Putting the above description into words is half of a quarter section. 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? Half sections have an area of 320 acres. This system was part of the Land Ordinance enacted in 1785 by President Thomas Jefferson. The numbering then moves from right to left across that first upper tier. A township in this system can be both a line and the square of land created by the township lines and range lines. After six years of aircrew service in the Air Force, he earned his MBA from the University of Phoenix following a BS from the University of Maryland. This point will be the basis for all government surveys in the area it controls, and its latitude and longitude are fixed by astronomical observations. School University of Minnesota, Duluth; Course Title MARKETING MISC; Uploaded By MajorTarsierMaster692. The largest grid comprises of two types of lines, principal meridians, and baselines. [/caption]\r\n\r\nEach section of 640 acres can be divided into halves and quarters called, get this, half sections and quarter sections. You may be asked to identify sections in the Rectangular Survey System, so remember the order from specific to general. Also Check: Government Regulations For Nonprofit Organizations. Land Description Government Rectangular Survey For 2019 | Real Estate Exam Prep. Quarter sections have an area of 160 acres.\r\n \t