Chapter 5 PLSS

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

(B) A portion of a resurveyed section may be given a lot number if it would otherwise have the same aliquot description it had before the resurvey. (C) Lot numbers begin with the next number higher than the highest lot number previously used in the section. (D) Both B and C are true.

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

(B) It contains more than two tiers of lots. (C) It exceeds 85 chains in its length, width, or both. (D) Both B and Care true.

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.

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

Alluvial deposits Glacial deposits

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

Baseline

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 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

A double proportionate measurement would restore a lost

Corner common to four townships

During the original subdivision of a township into sec.tions, 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.

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

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

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

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

Quadrangle

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.

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

Reference monument

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

Relocation

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 estab- lished 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 correctly states a difference between the 1973 Manual of Surveying Instructions and the 2009 Manual of Surveying Instructions?

The 1973 manual does not assert that coordi- nates may provide the best evidence of a corner position, but the 2009 manual does.

Which of the tollowing 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.

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.

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 discrep- ancy with the original measurement of 3 min in direction and 4 links in length

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

An original stone monument from a public lands 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 of section 14

William Burt invented his True Meridian Finding Instrument in 1833. Which of the following statements about Burt's invention is correct?

(A) Burt found that the iron ore deposits in Michigan made surveying with a magnetic needle nearly impossible. This led him to invent a solar compass. (B) Burt's invention provided an instant mechanical solution of the astronomic triangle for the estab- lishment of direction. (C) Using Burt's invention, the magnetic declina- tion of a compass can be determined. (D) All of the above are true.

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

(A) The found monument, being off of the intended line, was stamped AM, meaning amended monument. (B) The found monument will help describe the clos- ing line, but not its terminus. (C) A new monument should have been established at the intersection of the closing line and the line intended to have been closed upon. (D) A, B, and C are true.

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

(A) a lost quarter section corner on a township boundary (B) a lost quarter section corner on a section line within a township (C) a lost meander corner (D) none of the above

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

(A) a meandered lake entirely enclosed within a quarter section (C) an island too small to subdivide that lies entirely in one section (D) both A and C

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

(A) where a surveyed aliquot line intersects a mean- der line (B) where a calculated section centerline intersects a meander line

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

(A) A bearing tree is a corner accessory and a line tree is not. (B) A bearing tree is blazed and a line tree is hacked. (C) A line tree is intersected by a boundary line, while a bearing tree is scribed with the descrip- tion of the section in which it stands. (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?

(A) A lot with a width of 20 chains should contain between 10 ac and 50 ac. (B) A lot along an irregular boundary should con- tain between 5 ac and 45 ac.

A stone monument 20 in wide and 6 in thick is found projecting approximately 15 in 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?

(A) It serves the same purpose as the U.S. Mineral Monuments formerly did. (B) No corners of the public land system were avail- able within 2 mi of the vicinity of a mineral sur- vey when this USLM was established as a reference for the mineral surveys of the area. (C) The monument was set by a U.S. Mineral Surveyor. (D) All of the above are true.

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?

(A) The Bureau of Land Management is authorized to issue a patent to individuals who claim adverse possession of public domain lands under the Color of Title Act. (B) In some cases, land may be acquired by adverse possession from federal agencies when such land has been previously patented into private own- ership and has since been reacquired by the fed- eral government. (C) In some cases, land held by federal agencies never was part of the public domain; some of these lands may be acquired by adverse possession. (D) All of the above 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?

(A) The filing of corner records provides a mecha- nism by which original public lands survey cor- ner monuments may be replaced with monuments established at the correct positions determined by private land surveyors. (B) The filing of corner records helps to ensure the perpetuation of found original public lands sur- vey corner monuments, and makes the evidence by which lost or obliterated monuments are reestablished a matter of public record. (C) The filing of corner records provides a mecha- nism by which a private land surveyor may make monumentation of the aliquot corner of a section a matter of public record. (D) Both B and C are true.

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

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

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

The contract system allowed the Surveyors Gen- eral 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 measure- ments of a standard line should not differ by more than 25 links in 40 chains.

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

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

The geographer of the United States

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 monument at the center of a section.

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 NOT true of an independent resurvey in the Public Land Surveying System?

The lines established in an independent resur- vey 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.

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 tree?

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

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

(A) Verified undisturbed original monuments in the public land system are, by law, coincident with the corners they were established to represent, except off-line closing corners. (B) Verified undisturbed original monuments in the public land system are to remain fixed unless technical errors are discovered in the survey by which they were established. If such technical errors are discovered, the monuments may be moved to their correct location by any licensed land surveyor. (C) The bearings and distances shown on official township plats are considered inferior evidence of the position of corners in the public land sys- tem when contradicted by verified original cor- ner monumentation. (D) Both A and Care true.

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

(B) a line run to indicate the sinuosities of the bank or shore line of a permanent body of water (C) a line used to determine the approximate area of land in fractional sections after the segregation of the water area (D) both B and C

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

(B) A monument that can be verified as having been set by the original surveyor in a public lands survey is exactly at the position of the corner it purports to be, except off-line closing corner monuments. (C)A corner is a point where boundaries meet, while a monument is physical evidence of a cor- ner's location on the ground. (D) Both B and Care true.

Corner accessories include which of the following?

(B) bearing trees and bearing objects (C) pits and memorials

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?

(B)Lands that have passed from the public domain into private ownership are under the jurisdiction of state law. (C) Many states have adopted the principles and rules laid down in the Manual of Surveying Instructions through state court decisions and statute laws. D) Both B and C are true.

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?

00deg 21seconds

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?

10sq ch = 1ac

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 lands surveys established by the Bureau of Land Management?

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

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 mi. Which other interval would be most likely?

36mi

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 that were set during the layout of a principal meridian is how many chains?

40

Which of the following lengths is equivalent to 79.52 chains?

5248.32

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?

600.00ft by 1500.00ft

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

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

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

A) Where no public land corners are available within 2 mi, a USLM is established. (B) The function of a USLM is to provide control for isolated special surveys or mineral surveys. (C) A USLM is usually located on a prominent topo- graphic feature. (D) A, B, and Care true.

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

Thomas Hutchins was the surveyor in charge of the work now known as the Seven Ranges in Ohio, 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

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

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 obli- terated 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 lands 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.

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 is currently used to refer to such lines?

Correction lines Standard parallels

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

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.

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 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 best defines the meaning of the term dependent resurvey?

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

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

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 substan- tially 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 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 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 sec- tion line intersects the mean high water mark at the bank of a navigable body of water

According to the 2009 Manual of Surveying Instructions, the period from 1804 to 2009 saw a shift in the dominant federal policy regarding public lands. What was it?

from favoring disposal and settling of unre- served public lands to favoring retention, administration, and control

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

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

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 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

Closing corners are sometimes 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 mean- der line previously surveyed around a navigable river

Gunter's chain was invented by Edmund Gunter in sevententh 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