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
% Slope =
Elevation change .
Horizontal distance
10 feet
3.5 feet
% slope = 3.5/10
= 0.35 or 35%
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
Slope distance necessary
on a 35% slope for 1 chain
horizontal
66 feet
Legal Descriptions
and
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.
Metes & Bounds
Public Land Survey
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
Early Surveyors’ Equipment
Burt
Solar
Compass
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
The Stage is Set
in Iowa
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.
First Iowa Surveyor
The Beginning of PLS in Iowa
Lyon completes
5th PM in Iowa,
Dec. 1837
Burt ties
in across
river, Nov.
20, 1836
5th Principal Meriaian
Burt sets first
point on 5th
PM in Iowa
W. A. Burt starts
survey Oct. 25, 1836
Iowa Public Land Survey
Years
1856-1858
1853-1855
1847-1849
1839-1841
1850-1852
1844-1846
1842-1843
Surveyed PM and Base Line
for
Iowa
Hub is approximately 130 miles
SE of Little Rock, Arkansas at
the mouth of the St. Francis
River
Base Line
First rectangle is 24 mi by
24 mi
Standard
Parallels
24 miles
Guide
Meridians
24 miles
Base Line
24 x 24 mile rectangles are
subdivided
24 miles
T4N
24 miles
Township
T3N
T2N
6 mi
T1N
Base Line
R1E
R2E
R3E
R4E
Beginning of Legal
Description
24 miles
24 miles
T4N
T3N
T2N
6 mi
T1N
Base Line
R1E R2E R3E R4E
T3N, R3E, 5PM
Each Township is divided
6
5
4
3
2
1
7
8
9
10
11
12
Section
T3N
36
1 mi.
R3E
1 mi.
Adding to the Legal
Description
6 5 4 3 2 1
7 8 9 10 11 12
T3N
36 1 mi.
1 mi.
R3E
Sec 11, T3N, R3E, 5PM
Section Corners were
marked during survey
Gives rise to an interesting
possible hobby
Sections can be subdivided
NW 1/4
NE 1/4
SW 1/4
SE 1/4
1 mile
SE 1/4
Contains 160 Acres
1 mile
Adding to the Legal
Description
NW 1/4
NE 1/4
SW 1/4
SE 1/4
1 mile
1 mile
SE 1/4, Sec 11, T3N, R3E, 5PM
Further subdivision
NW 1/4
NE 1/4
1 mile
NW 1/4 NE 1/4
NW 1/4
SW 1/4
SW 1/4
1 mile
SE 1/4
Contains 40 acres
Adding to the Legal
Description
NW 1/4
NE 1/4
1 mile
NW 1/4 NE 1/4
SW 1/4
SW 1/4
SE 1/4
1 mile
NW 1/4, SE 1/4, Sec 11, T3N, R3E, 5PM
Further subdivision
NW 1/4
NE 1/4
1 mile
NE 1/4
NW 1/4
SW 1/4
SW 1/4
1 mile
SE 1/4
Contains 10 acres
Adding to the Legal
Description
NW 1/4
NE 1/4
1 mile
NE 1/4
SW 1/4
SW 1/4
SE 1/4
1 mile
NW 1/4, NW 1/4, SE 1/4, Sec 11, T3N, R3E, 5PM
Further subdivision
NW 1/4
NE 1/4
1 mile
NE 1/4
W 1/2
SW 1/4
SW 1/4
1 mile
SE 1/4
Contains 5 acres
Adding to the Legal
Description
NW 1/4
NE 1/4
1 mile
NE 1/4
SW 1/4
SW 1/4
SE 1/4
1 mile
W 1/2, NW 1/4, NW 1/4, SE 1/4, Sec 11, T3N, R3E, 5PM
5 Ac
10 Ac
40 Ac
160 Ac
640 AC