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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
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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
Elevation change . % Slope = Horizontal distance 10 feet 3.5 feet To adjust slope distance, must know % slope % slope = 3.5/10 = 0.35 or 35%
Adjusting slope distance to horizontal distance (Slope distance)2 Horizontal distance = (%Slope)2 + 1
(0.35)2 + 1 Adjusting 1 chain slope to horizontal (66 feet)2 Horizontal distance = = 62.3 feet
62.3 feet 66 feet Horizontal Distance for 1 chain on a 35% slope 35% slope
66 feet 35% slope 69.9 feet Slope distance necessary on a 35% slope for 1 chain horizontal
Metes and bounds Original 13 colonies Maine Vermont West Virginia Kentucky Tennessee Texas Public Land Survey Remaining continental states Alaska Hawaii Two systems used in U.S.
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
Burt Solar Compass 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
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.
5th Principal Meriaian The Beginning of PLS in Iowa Lyon completes 5th PM in Iowa, Dec. 1837 Burt ties in across river, Nov. 20, 1836 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
Hub is approximately 130 miles SE of Little Rock, Arkansas at the mouth of the St. Francis River 5th PM Base Line Surveyed PM and Base LineforIowa
5th PM Standard Parallels Guide Meridians Base Line First rectangle is 24 mi by 24 mi 24 miles 24 miles 24 miles 24 miles
5th PM 24 miles T4N Township T3N 24 miles 6 mi T2N 6 mi T1N Base Line R1E R2E R3E R4E 24 x 24 mile rectangles are subdivided
24 miles 5th PM T4N 24 miles T3N 6 mi 6 mi T2N Base Line T1N R4E R3E R1E R2E Beginning of Legal Description T3N, R3E, 5PM
6 5 4 3 2 1 7 8 9 10 11 12 Section T3N 1 mi. 36 1 mi. R3E Each Township is divided
6 5 4 3 2 1 12 7 8 9 10 11 T3N 36 1 mi. 1 mi. R3E Adding to the Legal Description Sec 11, T3N, R3E, 5PM
Section Corners were marked during survey Gives rise to an interesting possible hobby
NE 1/4 NW 1/4 1 mile SW 1/4 SE 1/4 1 mile Sections can be subdivided SE 1/4 Contains 160 Acres
NE 1/4 NW 1/4 Sec 11, T3N, R3E, 5PM 1 mile SW 1/4 SE 1/4 1 mile Adding to the Legal Description SE 1/4,
1 mile NW 1/4 NE 1/4 SW 1/4 SE 1/4 1 mile Further subdivision NW 1/4 NE 1/4 NW 1/4 SW 1/4 Contains 40 acres
NW 1/4 NE 1/4 SE 1/4, Sec 11, T3N, R3E, 5PM 1 mile NW 1/4 NE 1/4 SW 1/4 SW 1/4 SE 1/4 1 mile Adding to the Legal Description NW 1/4,
1 mile 1 mile Further subdivision NW 1/4 NE 1/4 NE 1/4 NW 1/4 SW 1/4 Contains 10 acres SW 1/4 SE 1/4
NW 1/4 NE 1/4 NW 1/4, SE 1/4, Sec 11, T3N, R3E, 5PM 1 mile NE 1/4 SW 1/4 SW 1/4 SE 1/4 1 mile Adding to the Legal Description NW 1/4,
1 mile 1 mile Further subdivision NW 1/4 NE 1/4 NE 1/4 W 1/2 SW 1/4 Contains 5 acres SW 1/4 SE 1/4
NW 1/4 NE 1/4 NW 1/4, NW 1/4, SE 1/4, T3N, R3E, 5PM Sec 11, 1 mile 5 Ac 10 Ac 40 Ac 160 Ac 640 AC NE 1/4 SW 1/4 SW 1/4 SE 1/4 1 mile Adding to the Legal Description W 1/2,