How Many Acres In Section

	Section: The basic unit of the system, a square slice of state one mile by one mile containing 640 acres.
	Township: 36 sections arranged in a vi past 6 square, measuring vi miles past 6 miles. Sections are numbered first with the northeast-most section (#ane), proceeding west to half dozen, so south along the w edge of the township and to the east (#36 is in the SE corner).
	Range: Assigned to a township by measuring east or westward of a Principal Meridian
	Range Lines: The north to south lines which marking township boundaries.
	Township Lines: The due east to west lines which mark township boundaries.
	Chief Peak: The reference or beginning point for measuring east or west ranges. Map of meridians & base lines from the BLM web server
	Base line: Reference or beginning bespeak for measuring n or south townships.

Agreement Land Descriptions
We'll start with the largest group, the township. The location of a particular township is given using the terminology of 'township and range'. The township is named in reference to a Principal Peak and a Baseline. Hither is an example, T.2N., R.1E. The T.2N. refers to Township 2 N (of the Baseline), and the R.1E. refers to Range 1 East (of the Principal Meridian). Township/Range Chart

Adjacent, each township is divided into 36 sections. Each section is one mile square and contains 640 acres. The sections are numbered from i to 36 in the social club shown in the chart to the left (see the yellow squares which bear witness a 'complete' township). The other colored squares stand for 'incomplete' townships.

Within each section, the country is referred to equally half and quarter sections. A one-sixteenth partition is called a quarter of a quarter, as in the NW1/4 of the NW1/4. The descriptions are read from the smallest division to the largest.

Section/Division Chart

Section/Acres Chart
One SECTION = 640 ACRES

A section is also broken down into acres.
Sample descriptions are in the ( )s.
Locating a Place Using USPLS Land Descriptions A land clarification generally starts with the smallest part of the description and proceeds to the largest definition. For example, NW1/4 of NE1/4 of Department 8, T.2N., R.1E. would be the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section eight in township 3 north and range ii eastward. To locate a characteristic on the landscape using a land description, you need to work from the largest part to the smallest part.

Township/Range Location Example

Step 1
As mentioned above, to locate a characteristic of involvement, you should locate the largest office using the township and range supplied in the description first. In this case T.2N., R.1E. Remember the T.2N. refers to Township 2 North (of the Baseline), and the R.1E. refers to Range 1 East (of the Principal Meridian). Section Location Example

Step 2
Afterward you have located the correct township, you volition next need to discover the correct section within that township. Using the instance given above the land description states Department 8, T.2N., R.1E. So yous would look in the township found in step 1 for department 8.

Section Division Location Example

Stride three
Now that you accept located the correct department you lot demand to find where in this section your country feature is located. Our example says NW1/iv of NE1/4 of Department viii, T.2N., R.1E. So you lot would start look in section viii for the NE1/4 of the department (shown every bit orange in the nautical chart to the left.) Afterwards locating the NE1/4 of the section your last step will be to find the NW1/four of that NE1/4 (shown in aqua in the chart to the left.) The well is generally located at or near the centre of the last unit given.

Let'due south expect at an example using Google Globe ^TM in Arizona

The image below shows the townships surrounding the intersection of the Primary Summit and the Baseline (the township with Avondale and Tolleson plus the two directly south of them) in the State of Arizona. Of theseTownships, the ones labeled T. one N. are in a position one township due north of Baseline (which is Baseline Road) and those labeled T. 1 Due south. are i township to the south. Range values labeled with a "W" are one township west of the Principal Meridian and those with an "Eastward" are ane to the due east. I have also marked the center of township T. i Due south., R. 2 W. (one township south of Baseline and 2 townships w of the Primary Meridian). We will zoom in on the township containing Tolleson in the adjacent image below. township and range

Next we see the township T. 1 N., R. 1 E. along with the 36 sections that makeup the township itself. Note the numbering organisation. Department one is in the extreme NE corner of the township and we number them moving west. Drop down a row and go along numbering moving e. Keep numbering in this fashion until we reach the terminal section, number 36, found in the extreme SE corner of the township. In an exercise, y'all are asked to make up one's mind if there are whatsoever 'consummate' congressional townships. To decide this, you need to encounter all 36 sections in their totality for the entire township numbered as shown below. If whatever part of a section or sections is missing, then the township is Non complete. township with sections

Now, let's wait at the Glendale Quadrangle with the township overlays displayed. The orange borders are the outlines of the townships and the royal borders are the outlines for the individual sections. Are there any complete townships on the Glendale Quadrangle? Wait at it before you lot read the answer...No, there aren't any complete townships. How many incomplete townships are at that place? Count them earlier y'all read the answer...In that location are four incomplete townships on the Glendale map.

When you need to do this on the Folsom, NM quadrangle, you will need to survey (carefully look over) the map and make up one's mind if there is a complete township on the map. Given the size of a township relative to a ane:24,000 map (scale of Folsom, NM quad is the same as that for Glendale below), information technology is unlikely that there would exist more than ane complete congressional township on the map area. One time you've washed that, you demand to count how many incomplete townships in that location are. Exist careful that you practice not count the sections.

Township T. iii Northward., R. ane E. is highlighed with a thicker orange outline (upper left township). Any object of interest (school, house, concern, etc) inside this box would have a USPLS designation of T. 3 North., R. ane East. The Urban center of Glendale would be in T. ii N., R. ii E. To see the divisions between the townships, nosotros have to zoom in to the edges of the map surface area and await for the cherry text. The paradigm below this large map shows an enlargement of such a sectionalization forth the top border of the map (where the orange township boundary intersects the map edge). See below where the orangish line separates R. one E. from R. 2 Due east.

glendale_overlay