Public Land Surveying System Quiz

What is the function of a location monument, sometimes designated by the abbreviation USLM?

(D) A, B, and C are true.

In modern practice, the creation of poorly shaped or odd-sized lots is avoided. Which of the following statements correctly defines the desirable limits on the areas of lots?

(D) Both A and B are true.

Corner accessories include which of the following?

(D) both B and C

In 1849, the General Land Office became part of the Department of the Interior. What department of government had jurisdiction over public land surveys before then?

Department of the Treasury

Which statement best defines the meaning of the term existent corner as used in the Public Land Surveying System?

It is a corner whose position is identifiable by the monument, accessories, or other physical or record evidence.

Which of the following statements is not true of the use of proportionate measurement for the restoration of corners in the Public Land Surveying System?

Proportionate measurement cannot be applied to restore lost closing corners along a standard parallel.

Which of the following abbreviations might be found on a corner accessory that was established near a section corner that fell in an unimproved roadway where neither bearing trees nor nearby bearing objects were available?

RM

Which of the following statements is NOT true of the official field note records of the public lands surveys that are prepared under the instructions in the Manual of Surveying Instructions?

Random lines with fallings are recorded in the field notes.

Under normal conditions and by current instructions, which of the following statements is NOT true regarding the establishment of the quarter-section corners during the subdivisional survey of a township?

Temporary quarter-section corners are established during the running of a random line and are corrected to their proper position during the running of the true line along each section line.

Which of the following statements is not correct regarding corners and lines that have been accepted as the official record by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior?

The Bureau of Land Management has the authority to conduct an official resurvey of any township.

Currently governing the configuration of a placer claim is the provision that it must

conform as nearly as is practical to the rectangular subdivisions of the Public Land Surveying System

Which of the following is intended to be bounded by meridians of longitude and parallels of latitude by current instructions in the Public Land Surveying System?

quadrangle

Which monument would NOT be evidenced by an accessory under normal circumstances?

reference monument

The meaning of the term lost corner as it is used in the Public Land Surveying System is best defined as a corner whose position is indeterminable, EXCEPT by

reference to one or more interdependent corners

Which of the following terms has the same meaning as dependent resurvey in the Public Land Surveying System?

relocation

The first surveys of public lands in the United States were conducted under the provisions of which of the following laws?

the Land Ordinance Act

Which of the following statements is true regarding the center quarter corner of a regular under normal circumstances?

The center quarter almost certainly does not stand at the midpoint of any aliquot line.

Rufus Putnam, the Surveyor General in 1797, established the contract system, which continued until 1910. Which statement best characterizes this system?

The contract system allowed the Surveyors General to arrange contracts with deputy surveyors for the execution of public land surveys.

The standard lines of the Public Land Surveying System include principal meridians, baselines, standard parallels, and guide meridians. Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding the general plan for the establishment of these standard lines?

The difference between two sets of measurements of a standard line should not differ by more than 25 links in 40 chains.

Which of the following statements is NOT correct concerning the establishment of a monument at the center of a section in the Public Land Surveying System?

The government is responsible for setting a monument at the center of a section.

Which of the following statements is NOT true of an independent resurvey in the Public Land Surveying System?

The lines established in an independent resurvey close upon the corners established by the original survey.

In general, meander lines are not legal boundaries. Which statement correctly describes a circumstance that could cause a meander line to become a legal boundary?

The meander line was established where no meanderable body of water ever existed.

Much of the early surveying in the Public Land Surveying System was done with a solar compass and a linked chain. The discrepancies between the design and the reality of the monumented corners may be larger than would be expected if the work were done today with modern equipment. Regarding this, which of the following statements is correct?

The monuments set during the execution of the original survey and the boundary lines they describe are correct and inviolable by law.

Which of the following statements is not true of a dependent resurvey in the Public Land Surveying System?

(C) Monuments found remaining in place from the original survey are destroyed unless the point is needed to control a bona fide private claim.

Original monuments in the Public Land Surveying System are held in high regard. Which statement correctly defines their standing?

(D) A and C are true

A found closing corner monument, stamped AM, is found off the line upon which the closing was intended. Which statement best described the likely circumstances?

(D) A, B, and C are true

Which statement best defines the difference between a bearing tree and a line tree?

(D) A, B, and C are true

Which of the following statements is true of an elongated section?

(D) Both B and C are true

Several of the states covered by the Public Land Surveying System have enacted corner record legislation. Which of the following correctly defines a common objective of such legislation?

(D) Both B and C are true.

Which of the following statements best defines the difference between a corner and a monument?

(D) Both B and C are true.

Which of the following statements correctly describes the applicability of the Manual of Surveying Instructions with regard to lands that have passed from the public domain into private ownership?

(D) Both B and C are true.

Which of the following statements correctly describes the system of lotting used in a section that has been the subject of an independent resurvey?

(D) Both B and C are true.

A stone monument, 20 in wide and 6 inches thick is found projecting approximately 15 inches from the ground. It has an "X" chiseled into the top and "USLM 34" is chiseled into the side. The monument was set in approximately 1906. Nearby rocks also have Xs and the letters "BR" chiseled into them. What sort of point does the monument represent and what is its purpose?

(D) all of the above are true

Which of the following intersections would be properly monumented by a special meander corner?

(D) both A and B

What sort of mineral deposits are appropriate for inclusion in a placer claim?

(D) both A and C

Which of the following conditions would be accommodated by the establishment of an auxiliary meander corner?

(D) both A and C

Which of the following best defines the meaning of the term meander line?

(D) both B and C

According to the Manual of Surveying Instructions, a section may be considered regular if its boundaries do not depart from cardinal directions by more than what prescribed limit?

00°21'

According to the Manual of Surveying Instructions, what is a survey's maximum allowable error of closure for the perimeter of either a regular or irregular township, in either latitude or departure?

1/4000

The chain has been the standard unit of length in the Public Land Surveying System since its beginning and is still the standard prescribed by law. One of the reasons for its durability is its convenient relationship with the description of land in acres. Which of the following equations correctly describes this relationship?

10 sq chains=1 ac

How many townships are usually created from a single quadrangle in the Public Land Surveying System by current instructions?

16

A lot with regular boundaries has a northern and southern boundary of 20.00 chains. The record area of the lot is 39.72 ac. The eastern boundary of the lot has a record length of 19.84 chains. What is the record length of the western boundary of the lot?

19.88 chains

Under current instructions, what is a regulation monument for public land surveys established by the Bureau of Land Management?

2 1/2-inch outer diameter alloyed iron pipe, 28 to 30 inches long, with a brass cap

What is the maximum area of public land an individual may hold as a placer claim under current provisions?

20 acres

The Manual of Surveying Instructions establishes a limit regarding the maximum acceptable adjustment in measurement between regular corners. Which of the following limits must NOT be exceeded if a section is to be considered regular?

25 links in 40 chains

Which of the following lengths is equal to 0.28 chains?

28 links

In the past, guide meridians and standard parallels were not always established at intervals of 24 miles. Which other interval would be most likely?

36 miles

The numbering of tracts that are to be segregated by a metes and bounds survey within an independent resurvey always begins with what number?

37

The interval between corner monuments set during the layout of a principal meridian is how many chains?

40

What is the maximum area of public land an individual may claim as a mill site?

5 acres

Which of the following lengths is equivalent to 79.52 chains?

5248.32 ft

In surveying a mineral lode claim for patent, a U.S. deputy land surveyor must make sure that the claim conforms to which of the following specifications?

600 ft by 1500 ft

The Act of May 10, 1872, sometimes called the Mining Act, established the legal size of a lode claim in the public lands. Which of the following sizes correctly represents this provision of the Mining Act?

600.00 ft by 1500.00 ft

A surveyor is retracing a section line that was blazed through a forested area following current instructions. The surveyor finds a tree with two blazes that are quite close together. The blazes are on the side of the tree facing the surveyor. Where is the section line in relation to the surveyor as he stands facing the blazes on the?

The section line lies behind the surveyor, approximately 50 links distant

Most states require professional surveyors to file monument records under which of the following specific circumstances?

A professional surveyor utilizes a monument representing a PLSS corner to control a survey, and the monument and its accessories are not substantially described in an existing monument record filing.

Early field notes from public land surveys sometimes refer to a two-pole chain. What is a two-pole chain?

A two-pole chain is one-half of a standard Gunter's chain, or 33.00 ft long.

Which of the following abbreviations is likely to appear on a monument at the corner of a tract in an independently resurveyed township?

AP

Which of the following acts contains provisions that are still in effect regarding the regulation of mining claims on public land?

Act of May 10, 1872

In general, unwritten property rights will not ripen against the federal government, but exceptions can arise. Which of the following statements correctly represents an EXCEPTION to the general rule?

All of the above are true.

Under current instructions, which statement does NOT correctly define a difference between a bearing tree and a line tree?

Bearing trees are recorded in the field notes; line trees are not

Which statement best defines the meaning of the term obliterated corner as used in the Public Land Surveying System?

There are no traces of the monument at an obliterated corner, but its position can be recovered beyond a reasonable doubt.

Which of the following statements is INCORRECT regarding the use of the term initial point in the Public Land Surveying System?

There is an initial point in each of the public land states.

Which of the following statements concerning township plats in the Public Land Surveying System is NOT correct?

They only show lines actually surveyed on the ground during the original survey.

The principle behind the use of double proportionate measurement in the restoration of lost corners in the public lands system is best defined by which of the following statements?

Distance is superior to direction.

During the original subdivision of a township into sections, under current instructions, which of the following statements is correct concerning closing corners?

Following the establishment of a closing corner upon a standard parallel, the surveyor should retrace the line closed upon to the east and west of the intersection.

A claimant may wish to make the end lines of a mineral lode claim parallel to one another. Why is such a configuration advantageous to the claimant?

It allows for the maximum extralateral rights.

Which of the following statements best defines the meaning of the term dependent resurvey?

It is a resurvey that is based upon existing corners and acceptable control points from the original survey. It includes the restoration of lost corners by proportionate measurement.

The Manual of Surveying Instructions is prepared and published by the

U.S. Department of the Interior

Which type of surveyor is authorized to survey a mineral claim on public land in preparation for a patent?

U.S. deputy mineral land surveyor

Which of the following governmental entities is the official custodian of the original field notes and plats of the completed public land surveys?

Where public lands surveys have been substantially completed, the official public lands records have been transferred to the states, though duplicates are on file in Washington, D.C. The remaining records are under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management.

Which of the following best defines the meaning of the term meander corner?

a corner established at the intersection of a meander line with a standard, township, or section line

The term aliquot is part of a section in the Public Land Surveying System that is:

a half or a quarter of a previously larger subdivision

Which of the following conditions would likely NOT result in the creation of lots in a section?

a retracement of the north line of a section that previously contained no lots reveals a discrepancy with the original measurement of 3 min in direction and 4 links in length

Which of the following correctly defines the term fractional township?

a township that contains significantly fewer than 36 sections, usually due to an invasion by a segregated body of water

Which of the following would be laid out east, and west from an initial point?

baseline

Thomas Hutchins was the surveyor in charge of the first public land surveys done under the auspices of the Land Ordinance Act of 1785. He personally ran the line extending east and west from the Ohio River that is known as the Geographer's Line. Lines that serve the same function as the Geographer's Line are now found throughout the Public Land Surveying System. What are such lines called?

baselines

Which of the following terms would correctly complete this excerpt from the original field notes? 74.84 Intersected Base Line at a point 21 links East of Standard, at which point I set a post in mound with a charred stick for a _________________ to sections 4 and 5.

closing corner

Under current instructions of the Public Land Survey System, which of the following types of corners are not to be monumented during the original survey of the principal meridians and baselines?

closing corners

A double proportionate measurement would restore a lost:

corner common to four townships

In 1807, Surveyor General Jared Mansfield ordered that another baseline be established 24 mi from the first in the Vincennes District to compensate for distortions in the survey. In 1818, the same idea was used to compensate for the effect of convergence. Which of the following terms are currently used to refer to such lines?

correction lines and standard parallels

Which of the following aliquot parts would NOT be found in section 6?

eight quarter-quarter sections

A meander corner is established at which of the following points?

every point where a standard, township, or section line intersects the mean high-water mark at the bank of a navigable body of water

Which of the following best describes a corner for which no evidence of any kind can be found?

lost corner

North-south township and section lines in the Public Land Surveying System are also known as which of the following?

meridional

An old set of original field notes describes a cairn as a corner accessory. What is a cairn?

mound of stone

Which of the following markings would a surveyor not expect to find on the brass tablet of a monument at a closing corner along the boundary between two states?

names of the adjoining states

Should the monument for an obliterated corner be reestablished by double or single proportionate measurement?

neither - an obliterated corner is not lost

Which of the following lost corners would not be restored by single proportionate measurement?

none of the above

When the normal subdivision of a regular township into sections is completed according to plan, section boundaries are intended to be

parallel to the east and south boundaries of the township

A private surveyor finds that his remeasurement along a section line between found original quarter corner and section corner monuments differs from that of the official record. The surveyor's objective is to establish an initial sixteenth corner monument along the line between the two found original corners. Which of the following techniques is the surveyor likely to find helpful in resolving the difference between the measurements?

proportionate measurement

Under rules outlined in the Manual of Surveying Instructions, which of the following should be meandered?

rivers and streams having a width of 3 chains or more, whether navigable or not

Which of the following is NOT covered in the Manual of Surveying Instructions?

rules and procedures for the meandering of swamp and overflowed lands

Which of the following best describes the meaning of the word lot as it is used in the Public Land Surveying System?

subdivisions of a section that are not described as aliquot parts but bear a lot number

Which of the following authorities supervised the first surveys of public lands?

the Geographer of the United States

Which statement does NOT correctly represent a criterion for the placement of a witness corner monument?

the Manual of Surveying Instructions calls for two witness corners to be placed near inaccessible true corners

An original stone monument from a public land survey of 1891 is found to have two notches cut into its eastern edge and three notches cut into its southern edge. What corner has been found?

the SW corner pf section 14

In 1847, Richard Young, commissioner of the General Land Office, instructed Charles Morse in the sectional subdivision of a township that had a particularly crooked eastern boundary. Young's solution was unpopular with Morse, but it limited the alignment problem to only one row of sections by the use of a procedure still used in similar circumstances. What is the procedure?

the establishment of a sectional guide meridian

Closing corners are set where a surveyed line intersects a previously established boundary. Which of the following situations would not cause an original surveyor of the public domain to set a closing corner?

the intersection of a township line with a meander line previously surveyed around a navigable river.

Gunter's chain was invented by Edmund Gunter in seventeenth century England. The instrument was used in public land surveys throughout the nineteenth century. These chains tended to increase in length with extended use. Why?

the wearing down of the links and the rings that joined them together

Which of the following corner monuments were in place on the township boundary when the normal subdivision of a quadrangle into townships was completed according to plan?

township, section, and quarter corners