PLSS
The Public Land Survey System, a method of subdividing and describing land in the United States using townships, ranges, and sections.
Detailed Definition
The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is the surveying method developed and used in the United States to plat, or divide, real property for sale and settling. It is based on principal meridians and base lines from which the land is divided into 6-mile square townships.
- Township: A 6-mile by 6-mile square containing 36 sections
- Range: Columns of townships numbered east or west from a principal meridian
- Section: A 1-mile by 1-mile square (640 acres) within a township
- Aliquot Parts: Subdivisions of sections (quarter sections, quarter-quarter sections, etc.)
The PLSS covers approximately 30 states, primarily west of the Mississippi River. It is fundamental to land descriptions for mining claims, oil and gas leases, and property ownership.
Related Terms
Township, Range, and Section
The hierarchical land description system within PLSS, identifying land by its position relative to principal meridians and base lines.
BLM
The Bureau of Land Management, the federal agency that administers public lands including mining claim filings and maintenance.
Range
In the PLSS, a column of townships running north-south, numbered east or west from a principal meridian.
Township
In the PLSS, a row of sections running east-west, numbered north or south from a baseline, forming a 6-mile by 6-mile area containing 36 sections.
Section
A one-square-mile (640-acre) unit of land within a PLSS township, numbered 1-36 in a serpentine pattern.
Protraction Diagram
An official BLM drawing showing the theoretical PLSS grid for an area that has not been surveyed on the ground.
Correction Line
An east-west line in the PLSS established at regular intervals to correct for convergence of meridians toward the poles.
Legal Land Description
A formal written description that uniquely identifies a parcel of land using the PLSS, metes and bounds, or lot and block system.