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Definitions: The government survey system is a ground survey system used in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and all states north of the Ohio River or west of the Mississippi River except Texas; divides land into townships approximately six miles square, each containing 36 sections of 640 acres.
Some terns used in connection with the government survey system are defined below:
Base line is a line running due east and west through the initial point of a principal meridian from which township lines are established. Note: Standard parallels run parallel to a base line at 24-mile intervals.
Principal meridians are major north-south lines established as general reference points in land surveying. There are about 25 principal meridians in the 48 contiguous states. Guide meridians are 24 miles apart.
Range line is one of a series of lines that extend due north and south at six-mile intervals and are numbered east or west from the principal meridian. Range lines form the east and west boundaries of townships.
Township lines are survey lines that run east and west at six-mile intervals north and south of a base line and form the north and south boundaries of townships.
A township is the area between two township lines and two range lines; normally contains 36 sections of approximately 640 acres each.
A Section is one of the 36 sections, each one mile square, into which each township is divided. Each section is 640 acres. Each acre equals 43,560 square feet.
To compute area of land in government survey description, for example, N1/2 SW1/4 NW1/4, NE1/4, take 640 and divide by all the denominators.
[640 ÷ 2 ÷ 4 ÷ 4 ÷ 4 = 5 acres]
To locate the tract, draw a square and work from the last description forward.
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-- From Appraisal Institute " The Appraiser's Complete Review Seminar Handbook," 1993 Appraisal Institute, Chicago, Illinois. |