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)
(%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
35
%
66
fe
et

s lo
pe

Slope distance necessary

on a 35% slope for 1 chain
horizontal
66 feet
35
%

69
.9

fee
t

s lo
pe

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

5th Principal Meriaian

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

5th PM

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

24 miles

24 miles

5th PM

First rectangle is 24 mi by
24 mi

24 miles

Standard
Parallels

Guide
Meridians
24 miles

Base Line

24 x 24 mile rectangles are

subdivided
5th PM

24 miles

T4N

24 miles

Township

T2N

6 mi

T3N

6 mi

T1N
R1E

R2E

R3E

R4E

Base Line

Beginning of Legal
Description

T4N

T2N

6 mi

T3N

24 miles

24 miles

5th PM

6 mi

T1N
R1E R2E R3E R4E

Base Line

T3N, R3E, 5PM

Each Township is divided

6

10

11

12
Section

T3N

36
1 mi.
R3E

1 mi.

Adding to the Legal

Description
T3N

6 5 4 3 2 1
7 8 9 10 11 12

R3E

36 1 mi.
1 mi.

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
SW 1/4

1 mile

NW 1/4

NE 1/4

SW 1/4

SE 1/4

NW 1/4
Contains 40 acres

Adding to the Legal

Description
NW 1/4

NE 1/4

1 mile
SW 1/4

NW 1/4

NE 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

SW 1/4
SW 1/4

1 mile

SE 1/4

NW 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

SW 1/4
SW 1/4

1 mile

SE 1/4

W 1/2
Contains 5 acres

NW 1/4

Adding to the Legal

Description
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