Quadrangles have an area of 576 square miles, more or less, and are divided into 16 townships.\r\n \tTownships: The divisions of a quadrangle, townships, are six miles square (six miles on each side) and are delineated by township lines. The earths curvature led to the creation of additional lines called Guide Meridians that is perpendicular to the baseline. Were not done yet. They are often combined to create a more accurate map of property boundaries. The rectangular survey system is comprised of principal meridian lines that cover most states in the US, running north to south and baselines running east to west. 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You got it: Tic tac toe. is a way of subdividing and describing land in the United States. Just because they are referred to as government lots does not mean the government owns the land they contain. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Base lines It was originally proposed by President Thomas Jefferson and is sometimes referred to as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS). Guide meridians and standard parallels form quadrangles. You have 80 acres in that plot of land, and that is your answer. The numbering then moves from right to left across that first upper tier. The rectangular survey or government survey describes In other words, after section number 6, it drops down to 7 on the next tier then goes left to right to number 12. 1. The second row down continues being numbered west to east or left to right. Section 1 within any township is always located at the upper right or northeast corner of the township. Metes and bounds were used as the primary survey method before 1785 and were fairly inaccurate, especially before GPS technology. There are two separate and distinct systems of land surveys in the United States: System of metes and bounds in which each parcel of land is . The creation of the legal description for the Governmental Survey System is based on special longitude and latitude lines called principal meridians and base lines. If you want to define smaller properties, we can take the southeast of section 3, which will only be 160 acres. So, in the example above, Township 4 South would be T4S. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Surveyed land was sold by the government, providing important revenue for the cash-starved nation. Same as term government rectangular survey: Way in which the U.S. government uses to subdivide public land. (The figure below shows a variety of divisions in a quarter section.). The land is then further divided into quadrangles. Now, the way it really works is for this page to be filled with the lines going up and down and right to left so that you have many townships. He teaches pre-licensing and continuing education courses for salespeople, brokers, and appraisers. Township lines, which run east and west, parallel to baselines, are horizontal parallel lines that form township tiers.\r\n\r\nThink about two lines running from left to right across this page about an inch apart. An area bounded on two sides by guide meridians and on the other two sides by correction lines is called a government check, check, or quadrangle, which is 24 miles square, meaning each of its boundaries is 24 miles long. PDF Legal Descriptions - McKissock Learning Remember, there are 36 square miles in a township, and each section is 1 square mile. Sections also are numbered consecutively. However, in some areas of the country, a township refers to a legal municipality rather than a geographic area, which can lead to some confusion. There may also be questions about how much land is in a specific plot or section. Doing the math, its 1/2 1/4 640 = 80 acres.\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_274746\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"556\"] A quarter section can be split into smaller parts. True of False - When land is mapped on the rectangular survey system, you locate the parcel by reading the directions from left to right. You have 80 acres in that plot of land, and that is your answer. Concepts will include principal meridians, the PLSS, and how sections of a township are. The rectangular survey system is based on principal meridians and base lines determined by precise scientific measurements. Dont Miss: Work From Home Government Jobs. 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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. Real Estate License Wizard2009 MacKenzie WaySuite 100Cranberry Twp, PA 16066Phone: (412) 212-3240Email: info [at] realestatelicensewizard.com. 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