Public Land Survey System of the United States
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Frequently-anticipated questions:
- What does this data set describe?
- How should this data set be cited?
- What geographic area does the data set cover?
- What does it look like?
- Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
- What is the general form of this data set?
- How does the data set represent geographic features?
- How does the data set describe geographic features?
- Who produced the data set?
- Why was the data set created?
- How was the data set created?
- How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?
- How can someone get a copy of the data set?
- Who wrote the metadata?
What does this data set describe?
- Title: Public Land Survey System of the United States
- Abstract:
- This data set portrays the Public Land Surveys of the United States, including areas of private survey, Donation Land Claims, and Land Grants and Civil Colonies. This is a revised version of the January 2003 data set.
- Supplemental_Information:
- All lands in the public domain are subject to subdivision by a
rectangular system of surveys called the Public Land Survey System
(PLSS), established and regulated by the Bureau of Land Management.
The original public domain includes the land ceded to the Federal
Government by the Thirteen Original States, supplemented with acquisitions
from native Indians and foreign powers. It encompasses major portions
of the land area of 30 western States.
Under Congressional mandate, cadastral surveys of public lands were undertaken to create parcels suitable for disposal by the Government. The PLSS was developed for this purpose. The PLSS is a rectangular survey system that typically divides the land into 6-mile square townships, which are further subdivided into 1-mile square sections (the data in the National Atlas do not include section-level information). The extension of the rectangular system of surveys over the public domain has been in progress since 1785. These surveys form the basis of patents issued when public lands pass out of Federal ownership.
Certain lands were excluded from the public domain and not subject to survey and disposal. These lands include the beds of navigable bodies of water, national installations such as military reservations and national parks, and areas such as land grants that had already passed to private ownership prior to subdivision by the Government.
Data describing the PLSS is required by Federal surface and mineral management agencies, as well as any organization concerned with land ownership in the 30 western States that were formed from the public domain. Additionally, many agencies have encoded natural resource or environmental inventory data based on the PLSS.
- How should this data set be cited?
U.S. Geological Survey, 201011, Public Land Survey System of the United States: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.
Online Links:
- What geographic area does the data set cover?
- West_Bounding_Coordinate: 170
- East_Bounding_Coordinate: -64
- North_Bounding_Coordinate: 72
- South_Bounding_Coordinate: 17
- What does it look like?
- Does the data set describe conditions during a
particular time period?
- Beginning_Date: 1972
- Ending_Date: 2002
- Currentness_Reference: Ground Condition
- Ending_Date: 2002
- Beginning_Date: 1972
- What is the general form of this data set?
- How does the data set represent geographic features?
- How are geographic features stored in the
data set?
- Indirect_Spatial_Reference:
- U.S. Department of Commerce, 1987, Codes for the Identification
of the States, the District of Columbia and the Outlying areas
of the United States, and Associated Areas (FIPS 5-2): Washington,
DC, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
- What coordinate system is used to represent
geographic features?
Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest 0.000278. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.000278. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal degrees.
The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1983.
The ellipsoid used is GRS1980.
The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.
The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257222.
- How are geographic features stored in the
data set?
- How does the data set describe geographic features?
- Public Land Survey System area (described by plss00p020.dbf)
- A rectangular system of surveys devised to subdivide public domain
lands. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
- Shape
- The representation of the entity in the data. (Source: U.S.
Geological Survey)
Value Definition Polygon 2-dimensional element - Area
- The size of the shape in coverage units. (Source: U.S. Geological
Survey)
Range of values Minimum: 0.000 Maximum: 123.791 - Perimeter
- The perimeter of the shape in coverage units. (Source: U.S.
Geological Survey)
Range of values Minimum: 0.003 Maximum: 220.521 - plss00p020
- Internal feature number. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Range of values Minimum: 2 Maximum: 90920 - Feature1
- The primary survey area type. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Value Definition Donation Land Claims An area that was allocated to a settler under the Donation Act of September 27, 1850 to preserve the rights of pre-statehood settlers claimed prior to the regular division of townships and ranges. Indian Lands Land granted to native Americans and excluded from the public domain. Land Grants, Civil Colonies An area of land to which title was conferred by a predecessor government and confirmed by the U.S. Government after the territory in which it is situated was acquired by the United States. Military Reservation A military or lighthouse reservation that limits the public lands. Not Part of Public Land Surveys System An area that is outside of the Public Land Survey System. Overlapping Land Grants An area of land to which more than one title was conferred by a predecessor government and confirmed by the U.S. Government after the territory in which it is situated was acquired by the United States. These areas are the result of survey error or disputed claims. Private Survey An area of private surveys of public domain lands. Public Survey An area of land subdivided by the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), which was originally created on public domain lands and the rules for its use were defined by the authority of the U.S. Government. The PLSS has since been extended, following similar rules, into non- public domain areas. Unsurveyed Area An area that is part of the public domain but which has not been subdivided. Water Areas of navigable streams and meanderable lakes which are excluded from the Public Land Survey System. - Feature2
- The township and range designation for the area. (Source:
U.S. Geological Survey)
Value Definition <blank> There is no township and range designation for the area because it is not a Public Survey or Private Survey area. There is no predefined set of valid township and range designations. Designations are in the format "Township xx aaaaa Range yy bbbb", where xx and yy are numbers, aaaaa is either North or South, and bbbb is either East or West.
- Feature3
- The secondary survey area type. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Value Definition <blank> The area does not have a secondary survey type. Land Grants, Civil Colonies An area of land to which title was conferred by a predecessor government and confirmed by the U.S. Government after the territory in which it is situated was acquired by the United States. Overlapping Land Grants An area of land to which more than one title was conferred by a predecessor government and confirmed by the U.S. Government after the territory in which it is situated was acquired by the United States. These areas are the result of survey error or disputed claims. - Name1
- The primary name of the survey area. This is the principal
meridian, Ohio base, or land grant name. (Source: U.S. Geological
Survey)
Value Definition <blank> The area is not a land grant or part of the Public Land Survey System. Formal codeset Codeset Name: GeoData Data Users Guide 1, Appendix K: Origins of the U.S. Rectangular Surveys Codeset Source: U.S. Geological Survey Formal codeset Codeset Name: GeoData Data Users Guide 1, Appendix L: Named Land Grant Codes Codeset Source: U.S. Geological Survey - Name2
- The secondary name of the survey area. This is an additional
land grant name. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Value Definition <blank> The area does not have a secondary survey name. Formal codeset Codeset Name: GeoData Data Users Guide 1, Appendix L: Named Land Grant Codes Codeset Source: U.S. Geological Survey - Name3
- The tertiary name of the survey area. This is an additional
land grant name. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Value Definition <blank> The area does not have a tertiary survey name. Formal codeset Codeset Name: GeoData Data Users Guide 1, Appendix L: Named Land Grant Codes Codeset Source: U.S. Geological Survey - State
- The 2-character code of the State where the survey area is
located. If the area falls in more than one State, the codes
for each State are included and are separated with dashes, for
example: IN-KY-OH. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Value Definition <blank> The area is not part of the Public Land Survey System. Formal codeset Codeset Name: Codes for the Identification of the States, the District of Columbia and the Outlying Areas of the United States, and Associated Areas, (Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 5-2). Codeset Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology - State_fips
- The 2-digit code of the State where the survey area is located.
If the area falls in more than one State, the codes for each
State are included and are separated with dashes, for example:
27-38-46. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Value Definition <blank> The area is not part of the Public Land Survey System. Formal codeset Codeset Name: Codes for the Identification of the States, the District of Columbia and the Outlying Areas of the United States, and Associated Areas, (Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 5-2). Codeset Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Who produced the data set?
- Who are the originators of the data set?
(may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Who also contributed to the data set?
- To whom should users address questions about the
data?
Greg Manuel
U.S. Geological Survey
561 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
703-648-6433 (voice)
atlasmail@usgs.gov
Why was the data set created?
These data are intended for geographic display and analysis at the national level, and for large regional areas. The data should be displayed and analyzed at scales appropriate for 1:2,000,000-scale data. No responsibility is assumed by the U.S. Geological Survey in the use of these data.
How was the data set created?
- From what previous works were the data drawn?
- 2MILBD (source 1 of 7)
-
U.S. Geological Survey, 1995, 1:2,000,000-scale Digital Line Graph Data - Boundaries: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.
- Type_of_Source_Media: CD-ROM
- Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
- Source_Contribution: Spatial information
- ATLAS-CNTY (source 2 of 7)
-
U.S. Geological Survey, 1998, County Boundaries of the United States: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.
- Type_of_Source_Media: Online
- Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
- Source_Contribution: Spatial information
- ATLAS-HY (source 3 of 7)
-
U.S. Geological Survey, 1998, Hydrography Features of the United States: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.
- Type_of_Source_Media: Online
- Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
- Source_Contribution: Spatial information
- 1:100,000-scale base maps (source 4 of 7)
-
U.S. Geological Survey, Unknown, 1:100,000-scale USGS topographic sheets: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.
- Type_of_Source_Media: Paper
- Source_Scale_Denominator: 100000
- Source_Contribution: Spatial and attribute information
- 500K State base maps (source 5 of 7)
-
U.S. Geological Survey, Unknown, State base maps: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.
- Type_of_Source_Media: Paper
- Source_Scale_Denominator: 500000
- Source_Contribution: Spatial and attribute information
- 1Mil State base maps (source 6 of 7)
-
U.S. Geological Survey, Unknown, State base maps: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.
- Type_of_Source_Media: Paper
- Source_Scale_Denominator: 1000000
- Source_Contribution: Spatial and attribute information
- ATLAS-PLSS200205 (source 7 of 7)
-
U.S. Geological Survey, 200205, Public Land Survey System of the United States: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.
- Type_of_Source_Media: Online
- Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
- Source_Contribution: Spatial and attribute information
- How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
- Date: 1999 (process 1 of 4)
- Public Land Survey System data were collected from 1:500,000
and 1:1,000,000 State base maps for the western United States. The
eastern States were collected from existing 1:100,000-scale base
maps. Data from both sources were integrated into 1:2,000,000 State-level
DLG files, then generalized and vertically integrated with 2MILBD,
ATLAS- CNTY, and ATLAS-HY. The resulting Public Land Survey System
DLG files were published on CD-ROM in 1995. The DLG optional-format
files were then converted to Arc/INFO coverages, and the individual
State files were paneled together into a national coverage. Numeric
DLG codes were translated into English, non-polygon features were
deleted, and the data set was converted to shapefile format.
Data sources used in this process:
- 2MILBD
- ATLAS-CNTY
- ATLAS-HY
- 1:100,000-scale base maps
- 500K State base maps
- 1Mil State base maps
- Date: Apr-2002 (process 2 of 4)
- Township and Range values were corrected in the Boise, Copper
River, Fifth Principal, Fourth Principal, Sixth Principal, Indian,
Louisiana, Salt Lake, St. Stephens, Third Principal, Umiat, and
Willamette surveys. In all, 250 corrections were made using 1:100,000-scale
base maps. Some polygons in coastal areas were added or deleted
to accurately portray the extent of a Township or unsurveyed area.
Data sources used in this process:
- 1:100,000-scale base maps
Data sources produced in this process:
- ATLAS-PLSS200205
- Date: Dec-2002 (process 3 of 4)
- Range values were corrected in the New Mexico Principal survey
for Townships 15-20 South. In all, 85 corrections were made using
1:100,000-scale base maps.
Data sources used in this process:
- ATLAS-PLSS200205
- 1:100,000-scale base maps
- Date: Nov-2010 (process 4 of 4)
- Township value was corrected in the Iowa Fifth Principal survey
for Range 3 West. In all, 2 corrections were made due to a previous
typing error.
Data sources used in this process:
- ATLAS-PLSS200301
- What similar or related data should the user be
aware of?
How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?
- How well have the observations been checked?
- How accurate are the geographic locations?
- How accurate are the heights or depths?
- Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
This data set includes the Public Land Survey System for the United States, to the Township and Range level. It also includes Land Grants.
- How consistent are the relationships among
the observations, including topology?
The data set was checked for topological consistency using the Arc/INFO command BUILD. No other checks for logical consistency were performed on this data set.
How can someone get a copy of the data set?
Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
- Access_Constraints: None
- Use_Constraints:
- None. Acknowledgment of the National Atlas of the United States of America and (or) the U.S. Geological Survey would be appreciated in products derived from these data.
- Who distributes the data set? (Distributor
1 of 1)
Earth Science Information Center, U.S. Geological Survey
507 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
1-888-ASK-USGS (1-888-275-8747) (voice)
- Contact_Instructions:
- In addition to the address above there are other ESIC offices
throughout the country. A full list of these offices is at <http://mapping.usgs.gov/esic/esic_index.html>.
- What's the catalog number I need to order
this data set?
- What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made by the U.S. Geological Survey regarding the utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. No responsibility is assumed by the U.S. Geological Survey in the use of these data.
- How can I download or order the data?
- Availability in digital form:
Data format: ESRI Shapefile Network links: <http://nationalatlas.gov/atlasftp.html>
- Cost to order the data: There is no charge for the map
layer.
- Availability in digital form:
Who wrote the metadata?
- Dates:
- Last modified: 12-Nov-2010
- Metadata author:
-
Terry Higgins
U.S. Geological Survey
1400 Independence Road
Rolla, MO 65401
573-308-3592 (voice)
atlasmail@usgs.gov
- Metadata standard:
- FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
