Legal and Boundary Principles Flashcards

The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) divides a standard township into how many sections?

Answer: 36

A standard PLSS township is divided into 36 sections, each nominally one square mile or 640 acres.

Under PLSS rules, numbered sections in a township begin in which corner and proceed in which pattern?

Answer: Northeast corner, proceeding west then snaking south

PLSS section numbering begins in the northeast corner of the township, runs west, then drops south and runs east, continuing in a bimeander pattern.

What is the legal acreage of a standard PLSS section?

Answer: 640 acres

A standard section in the PLSS contains 640 acres, equivalent to one square mile.

In PLSS, 'lot' parcels are typically found in which sections of a township?

Answer: Sections along the north and west boundaries

Fractional lots resulting from subdivision adjustments are typically found along the north and west boundaries of a township where closure errors accumulate.

The term 'meander line' in PLSS surveys describes:

Answer: A line run along the banks of a navigable body of water for area computation, not a boundary

A meander line approximates the bank of a navigable waterway for calculating acreage but is not itself the legal boundary.

When restoring a lost PLSS corner, surveyors must follow the rules established by:

Answer: The Bureau of Land Management's Manual of Surveying Instructions

The BLM's Manual of Surveying Instructions provides the authoritative procedures for restoring and reestablishing lost PLSS corners.

A 'double proportionate measurement' in PLSS is used to restore which type of corner?

Answer: Interior quarter-section corner

Double proportionate measurement applies to lost interior quarter-section corners, distributing error both east-west and north-south from the controlling corners.