1. Section, Township, Range By: Cytetn Industries, Inc.By: Cytetn Industries, Inc.

2. Image from BLM.com

3. Not all States use this method of Sections Townships and Ranges, Texas for example uses Surveys. That, however, is for another day.

4. Section 5 Township 6 South Degrees Seconds North 30°25’20” West Range 26 East Range 13 East Township 2 North Township 12 North Minutes North 89°12’00” East Range 9 West Range 18 West Township 11 South South 59°39’20” East North 30°25’20” West Section 36 Section 29 Section 9 Degrees Minutes North 89°12’00” East Section 36

5.  This is not a history lesson.  The why and how of Base Lines and Meridians will not be a topic. Yes, really.

6.  Base Lines run East and West  Principal Meridians run North and South

7. A BASE LINE IS LIKE THE “X” FOR EXAMPLE, OKLAHOMA HAS 2 MERIDIANS, THE INDIAN MERIDIAN AND THE CIMARRON MERIDIAN. KANSAS USES THE 6 TH PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN. A PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN IS LIKE “Y” STATES HAVE DIFFERENT BASELINES AND PRINCIPAL MERIDIANS.

8. INSTEAD OF USING “X”,” Y”, “-X” AND “-Y” LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS USE NORTH, SOUTH, EAST AND WEST

9. Township 6 North Township 2 North Township 3 South Township 9 South Range 8 EastRange 3 East Range 7 West  Any place North or South of the Base Line is designated as “Township North” or “Township South”.  The Townships position East or West of the Meridian indicates it Range.

12. Township 8 North

13. Range 5 West

14. Now you can find a Township and Range… Lets see what's inside them

15. INSIDE EACH TOWNSHIP, RANGE IS A 6 X 6 GRID, REPRESENTING SECTIONS. Township 8 North Range 5 West 1 36 353433 32 312 354 6 252627282930 24 232221 20 19 13 141516 17 18 12 1110 9 8 7  The numbered blocks are the Sections within the Township and Range.  The numbers descend in a “snake-like” pattern.  That pattern will always be the same.  Section 1 will always be the most Northeast corner of the Township and Range Block.

16. A SECTION HAS 4 QUARTERS.

17. EACH QUARTER HAS 4 MORE QUARTERS IN IT. (TWO QUARTERS MAKE UP A 1/2) Lets Look at the Northwest Quarter Inside a Quarter there are four more Quarters, also named Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, and Southeast. NE/4 SE/4SW/4 NE/4 SE/4SW/4 NW/4

18. NAMING QUARTERS IN QUARTERS A Quarter inside another Quarter is described as “of the”. For example: The SW/4 of the NW/4. Lets locate the SW/4 of the NW/4. This may often appear as SW/4 NW/4, or simply even SW NW, the “of the” between them is implied and means the same as if it was actually written out. First find the NW/4. Now find the SW/4 (that is within the NW/4). NE/4 SE/4SW/4 NW/4 NE/4 SE/4 NW/4 SW/4

19. TWO QUARTERS MAY BE DESCRIBED AS A HALF The E/2 of the NW/4 would be the SE/4 and the NE/4 within the NW/4 Lets locate the E/2 of the NW/4. This may often appear as E/2 NW/4, the “of the” between them is implied and means the same as if it was actually written out. First find the NW/4. Now find the E/2 (that is within the NW/4). NE/4 SE/4SW/4 NW/4 NE/4 SE/4 NW/4 SW/4

22. A CALL GIVES A DIRECTION TO FOLLOW OR PLAT. CALLS DETERMINE THE SHAPE OF THE PARCEL OR TRACT. Examples of calls would be:  N 89°00’00” W 311.08 feet  S 59°39’20” E 500.0’  North 89° East 200 feet  West 400’  A call gives a direction and a distance.  By following the direction and distance of each call in the legal description the shape of the land is described.  The Section, Township and Range, and all the calls, will be the legal description.

23. A PROTRACTOR IS USED TO DETERMINE THE DIRECTION  59° is 59 degrees  ° is the degrees symbol  39’ is 39 minutes  ‘ is the minutes symbol  20” is 20 seconds  “ is the seconds symbol  S & E is South and East.  500.00 feet is how far in that direction to go. S 59°39’20” E 500.00 feet

24.  Due North and South are both 0 degrees.  Due East and West are both 90 degrees.  The Numbers are the degrees 0-90 Easterly or Westward in each direction from due North or Due South S 59°39’20” E 59°39’20” You would use a scaled ruler with this protractor when platting by hand. S 59°39’20” E 500.00 feet

25. Commencing at the Northwest Corner of the SW/4 NE/4 also being the Point of Beginning; thence S 39°00’00” E 920.00 feet; thence N 89°00’00” E 630.00 feet; thence N 39°00’00” W 920.00 feet; thence S 89°00’00 W 630.00 feet to the Point of Beginning.  Find the SW/4 NE/4  First the NE/4  Next the SW/4 of the NE/4  Now the Northwest corner  That is the Beginning Point.

26. Commencing at the Northwest Corner of the SW/4 NE/4 also being the Point of Beginning; thence S 39°00’00” E 920.00 feet; thence N 89°00’00” E 630.00 feet; thence N 39°00’00” W 920.00 feet; thence S 89°00’00 W 630.00 feet to the Point of Beginning.  thence S 39°00’00” E 500.00 feet S 39°00’00” E

27. Commencing at the Northwest Corner of the SW/4 NE/4 also being the Point of Beginning; thence S 39°00’00” E 920.00 feet; thence N 89°00’00” E 630.00 feet; thence N 39°00’00” W 920.00 feet; thence S 89°00’00 W 630.00 feet to the Point of Beginning.  thence N 89°00’00” E 630.00 feet N 89°00’00” E

28. Commencing at the Northwest Corner of the SW/4 NE/4 also being the Point of Beginning; thence S 39°00’00” E 920.00 feet; thence N 89°00’00” E 630.00 feet; thence N 39°00’00” W 920.00 feet; thence S 89°00’00 W 630.00 feet to the Point of Beginning.  thence N 39°00’00” W 920.00 feet N 39°00’00” W

29. Commencing at the Northwest Corner of the SW/4 NE/4 also being the Point of Beginning; thence S 39°00’00” E 920.00 feet; thence N 89°00’00” E 630.00 feet; thence N 39°00’00” W 920.00 feet; thence S 89°00’00 W 630.00 feet to the Point of Beginning.  thence S 89°00’00 W 630.00 feet S 89°00’00 W

30. Commencing at the Northwest Corner of the SW/4 NE/4 also being the Point of Beginning; thence S 39°00’00” E 920.00 feet; thence N 89°00’00” E 630.00 feet; thence N 39°00’00” W 920.00 feet; thence S 89°00’00 W 630.00 feet to the Point of Beginning.  The last call returns to the Point of beginning.  You should have determined the description to be situated as shown.

32. YOU SHOULD:  Be able to locate a Section, Township and Range.  Be able to determine the Quarters within a Section.  Be able to locate a starting point in a legal description.  Have a basic understanding of how a legal description works.  Be able to determine the approximate orientation and shape of a legal description.