NCEES Principles and Practice of Surveying Practice Exam

What is primarily used for locating and describing land in the rectangular survey system?

1. The county assessor's records

2. The Principal Meridian and Base Line

3. The GPS coordinates of the land

4. The title deeds of the properties

The correct answer is: The Principal Meridian and Base Line

In the rectangular survey system, the Principal Meridian and Base Line serve as fundamental reference lines that define the layout of the land. The system is based on a grid made up of townships and ranges that allow for precise location and identification of parcels of land. The Principal Meridian runs north-south, and the Base Line runs east-west. By using these two lines as reference points, land can be systematically organized into parcels. Townships are measured in six-mile square segments, and each township is further divided into sections, which are one square mile each. This method creates a structured approach to land division that is used in many states in the U.S. This system greatly enhances the ability to locate, describe, and transfer property, establishing a clear standard for land measurement. Without these reference lines, describing property boundaries would be much more complicated and less uniform, making navigation, mapping, and legal descriptions less reliable. The other options, such as county assessor's records, GPS coordinates, and title deeds, while useful in various contexts, do not serve as the core framework for locating land in the rectangular survey methodology.