Land Measurement

Metes and Bounds

and

Public Land Survey

Land Measurement is needed for:

Purchase/sale Agricultural crop compliance Taxes Management activities

Commonly used length units

1 mile = 5280 feet = 80 chains

1 chain = 66 feet = 100 links

1 rod = 16.5 feet

4 rods = 1 chain

Commonly used area units

1 acre = 43,560 square feet

10 square chains = 1 acre

1 square mile = 640 acres m/l

1 hectare = 10,000 square meters

1 hectare = 2.471 acres

All distance measurement is assumed to be horizontal

Distance measured along a slope must be adjusted to

horizontal distance

To adjust slope distance, must know % slope

10 feet

3.5 feet % slope = 3.5/10

= 0.35 or 35%

Elevation change . Horizontal distance

% Slope =

Adjusting slope distance to horizontal distance

Horizontal distance = (Slope distance)2

(%Slope)2 + 1

Adjusting 1 chain slope to horizontal

Horizontal distance =(66 feet)2

(0.35)2 + 1

= 62.3 feet

Horizontal Distance for 1 chain on a 35% slope

62.3 feet

66 feet

35% slope

Slope distance necessary on a 35% slope for 1 chain

horizontal

35% slope

66 feet

69.9 feet

Legal Descriptionsand

Land Survey

Two systems used in U.S.

Metes and bounds Original 13 colonies Maine Vermont West Virginia Kentucky Tennessee Texas

Public Land Survey Remaining

continental states Alaska Hawaii

Survey Systems in U.S.

Public Land Survey

Metes & Bounds

Metes and Bounds System

Mete: A direction, or more often a combination of a distance and direction

i.e. N 42o E, 16.3 chains

Bound: description of the boundary of an adjoining property

i.e. the southwest boundary of the Johnson property

Metes & Bounds Problems

Difficult to reconstruct Often inaccurate

Kentucky had 1,275,000 acres not recorded

Virginia 40 counties with 554,000 ac. more than their

combined area 55 counties with 370,000 ac. less than their

combined land area

Public Land Survey

Sometimes referred to as Rectangular Survey

Public Land Survey

Started in Ohio in 1785 Provides a very uniform method for

land description Easy to re-establish Less likelihood of errors than with

Metes and Bounds

BurtBurtSolarSolarCompassCompass

Early Surveyors’ Equipment

Each PLS survey starts from a known hub

Hubs were usually established at the confluence of two rivers

Locations were determined accurately by celestial observation

On December 18, 1832, Jenifer T. Sprigg crossed the Mississippi into Iowa near what is now Fort Madison and set a marker at the common corner of sections 1, 12, 6, and 7 in Tier 67 North Ranges 4 and 5 West.

The Stage is Set in Iowa

First Iowa Surveyor

W. A. Burt starts survey Oct. 25, 1836

Burt ties in across river, Nov. 20, 1836

Lyon completes 5th PM in Iowa, Dec. 1837

Burt sets first point on 5th PM in Iowa

The Beginning of PLS in Iowa

5th Principal Meriaian

Iowa Public Land Survey Years

1839-1841

1842-1843

1844-1846

1847-1849

1850-1852

1853-1855

1856-1858

Surveyed PM and Base Linefor

Iowa5t

h P

M

Base Line

Hub is approximately 130 miles SE of Little Rock, Arkansas at the mouth of the St. Francis River

First rectangle is 24 mi by 24 mi

5th

PM

Base Line

StandardParallels

Guide Meridians

24 m

iles

24 m

iles

24 miles

24 miles

24 x 24 mile rectangles are subdivided

5th PM

Base Line

24 miles

24 m

iles

6 mi6 m

iTownship

R1E R2E R4ER3E

T2N

T1N

T3N

T4N

Beginning of Legal Description

T3N, R3E, 5PM

5th PM

Base Line

24 miles

24 m

iles

6 mi6 m

i

R1E R2E R4ER3E

T2N

T1N

T3N

T4N

Each Township is divided

T3N

R3E

1 mi.

1 mi.

Section

123456

36

117 8 9 10 12

Adding to the Legal Description

T3N, R3E, 5PMSec 11,

T3N

R3E1 mi.

1 mi.

123456

36

117 8 9 10 12

Section Corners were marked during survey

Gives rise to an interesting possible hobby

Sections can be subdivided

1 mile

1 mile

SE 1/4

Contains 160 Acres

NW 1/4 NE 1/4

SW 1/4 SE 1/4

Adding to the Legal Description

T3N, R3E, 5PMSec 11,SE 1/4,

1 mile

1 mile

NW 1/4 NE 1/4

SW 1/4 SE 1/4

Further subdivision

1 mile

1 mile

NE 1/4NW 1/4

SW 1/4 SE 1/4

NW 1/4

Contains 40 acres

NE 1/4NW 1/4

SW 1/4

Adding to the Legal Description

T3N, R3E, 5PMSec 11,SE 1/4,NW 1/4,

1 mile

1 mile

NE 1/4NW 1/4

SW 1/4 SE 1/4

NE 1/4NW 1/4

SW 1/4

Further subdivision

1 mile

1 mile

NE 1/4

SW 1/4 SE 1/4

NW 1/4

Contains 10 acres

NE 1/4NW 1/4

SW 1/4

Adding to the Legal Description

T3N, R3E, 5PMSec 11,SE 1/4,NW 1/4,NW 1/4,

1 mile

1 mile

NE 1/4

SW 1/4 SE 1/4

NE 1/4NW 1/4

SW 1/4

Further subdivision

1 mile

1 mile

NE 1/4

SW 1/4 SE 1/4

W 1/2

Contains 5 acres

NE 1/4NW 1/4

SW 1/4

Adding to the Legal Description

W 1/2,

40 Ac10 Ac5 Ac 160 Ac 640 AC

T3N, R3E, 5PMSec 11,SE 1/4,NW 1/4,NW 1/4,

1 mile

1 mile

NE 1/4

SW 1/4 SE 1/4

NE 1/4NW 1/4

SW 1/4