In the rectangular survey system, townships are numbered north or south of a designated:
Correct Answer
C) Baseline running east–west through the initial point
Townships are numbered north or south from the designated baseline; ranges are numbered east or west from the principal meridian. These references identify the public-land survey grid. Actual surveys control dimensions and correction-line effects.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Option C is correct because townships are numbered north or south of the baseline, an east-west line running through the initial point. Ranges, by contrast, are numbered east or west of the principal meridian. Together these lines form the reference grid for the public land survey system.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: State boundary line
Option A, a state boundary line, is a political boundary, not the reference used to number townships. Townships are numbered from the survey baseline.
Option B: County seat meridian
Option B, a county seat meridian, is not a reference line of the rectangular survey system. Meridians run north-south and are used to number ranges, not townships, and the principal meridian is not tied to a county seat.
Option D: A magnetic north reference bearing taken at the site itself
Option D, a magnetic north bearing taken at the site, is a local measurement, not a fixed reference line. Townships are numbered from the established baseline running east-west through the initial point.
Townships from base, ranges from meridian
Townships step up or down from the baseline; ranges step left or right from the meridian.
How to use: Use this to match each survey unit with its reference line.
Exam Tip
Pair townships with the baseline and ranges with the principal meridian. Eliminate political boundaries and site-specific bearings.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- -Saying townships are numbered from the principal meridian
- -Confusing the baseline with a state or county boundary
- -Mixing up the direction ranges and townships are numbered
Concept Deep Dive
Analysis
This question tests the reference lines of the rectangular survey system. Townships are numbered north or south from the baseline, which runs east-west through the initial point where it intersects the principal meridian.
Background Knowledge
The rectangular survey system uses principal meridians running north and south and baselines running east and west, which intersect at an initial point. Township rows are counted north or south of the baseline, and range columns are counted east or west of the meridian. Each township is nominally six miles square and divided into sections.
Real-World Application
An appraiser reviewing a rural parcel description sees Township 3 North, Range 2 West. The appraiser understands the parcel lies in the third row north of the baseline and the second column west of the principal meridian.
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