Topographic Maps (Quadrangles)

Quadrangles, also known as quads for short, are a key component. We can use them for to find out many things

Map Location - This can be found in the top right corner of the quad. On the first line it will say the location and on the second the
name of the state.
Neat Lines - The outer boundaries of the map, keep the map “neat”.
Surrounding quads - You can find out about the eight bordering quads by looking in one of two places depending on the map.
Either a diagram in the bottom margin of the map will show you the eight surrounding quads (C), or just outside the neat lines, there
will be the name of the quad from each of the surrounding directions.
Graticule Tick Marks - There are four graticule ticks marks on each quad. This divides the map into 9 sectors, one for each of the 8
directions and 1 for the center. * Tests sometimes ask u to find objects in a “sector”*. Sectors are labeled from left to right across the
map. Each of the intersections are where the graticule tick marks would be.
Series - Most quads use the 7.5 minute series. So they cover a land area of approximately 7.5 minutes of latitude and longitude
Scale - the scale is normally 1: 24,000. Sometimes different scales can be used.
Legend - It is found in the bottom right corner of the quad. This may show information on how to read the quad, for example it may
explain what types of roads are featured in the map.
Contour Interval: Found in the center of the bottom margin of the quad. The number indicates the number of feet (or, rarely, on
some maps, meters) between each contour line. If you're finding the elevation of something, you must look at the contour interval
first. In addition, like series and scale, many tests will ask what the contour interval is. Unlike series and scale, however, this number
may vary widely across maps.
- Contour lines are lines throughout the map that indicate the elevation of a location. Combined with the contour interval,
you will be able to find the elevation of every point on the map through contour lines.
- Index Contour lines are dark contour lines and will also display the elevation. They are extremely important when
calculating elevation.
Magnetic Declination - There is a diagram located at the center of the bottom margin of the quad. This diagram will have three
(sometimes two) lines coming out of it. The one straight up is true north. One of the other two will say MN. This is magnetic north.
The magnetic declination is the number of degrees between true north and magnetic north, and it is written right next to the line as
MN.
Geographic Declination - This will be the other line in the diagram mentioned above. The geographic declination is the number of
degrees between true north and geographic north, and it is written next to the line at GN.
Public Land Survey System (PLSS) -Writing out a location using PLSS. First, identify the township and range of the target object
or section. If you look on the neat lines of the quad, you will see something that might say "T. 5 S" and "R. 5 E". T stands for
township and R stands for range. Be sure to get the right township and range, because this will be needed later. Within each of these
divisions, there are 36 sections, usually outlined by orange borders. The number of the section can be found on the quad in the center
of the section. Finally, each section can be split into four quarters: NE, NW, SE, and SW. Within each of those quarters there can be
another four quarters, once again being NE, NW, SE, and SW. Locate which 1/16 (that is, a quarter of a quarter) the point is in, i.e.
NW ¼ of the NE ¼ or SW ¼ of the SW ¼. More specific measures may also be asked for in tests, but questions generally do not ask
for more than two or three specifications.
Now you have all the information to write a full PLSS location. First, start with the 1/16 the point is in; for example, SE ¼ NW ¼.
Then, add the section number to the end (SE ¼ NW ¼ 20). Finally, add township and range that were on the quad to the end: SE ¼ /
NW ¼ / 20 / T 6 S R 8 W. Congratulations, you have successfully written out your location in PLSS form!
Not all states use PLSS so not all quads have PLSS on them.
Map Colors - Major colors on a topographic map include black, blue, brown, green, red, and purple, each with a different meaning.
Black can denote features like roads and buildings, blue identifies water features, brown identifies contours, green identifies
vegetation, red denotes important roads, and purple indicates revisions to the map.
Map Symbols - The map symbols needed during the event can be found here. It is very important to have at least one symbols sheet
during the competition. Many questions will ask about certain symbols, and having a symbols sheet is practically an unwritten law
for the build-a-map portion of the test. An example of a topo sheet is on the right.
Survey Control Marks - These are specific points on a quad that give the exact elevation of a place that is not found on a contour
line. Teams need to know control station marks, spot elevations, and benchmarks. The symbols for each of these can be found in the
topographic map symbols booklet.
Azimuth - Azimuth is the degrees from one object to another. This is found using a full circle (360) protractor. An azimuth can be up
to 359 degrees, and it looks like this: 25°. It is important to line up the protractor so that 0 is facing north. Then, use a ruler or other
straightedge to find the exact degree measure between the two places.
Bearing - Bearing is also found by using a full circle protractor. The direction N or S is added in front of the degrees, and E or W is
added afterward. It looks like this: N 25° E. Like an azimuth, it is important to use a ruler or string to find the exact degrees. 0
degrees is always facing north or south, and 90 degrees is always facing west or east. Bearing can only be measured from 0 to 90
degrees, since it is always measured from the 180 degree line. For example, if the angle is 91 degrees (in the sense of an azimuth),
than the bearing measurement would be S 89 degrees E.
Measuring Distances - To measure distances on a quadrangle, you'll need a piece of scrap paper. Line up the piece of paper between
the two objects placing a small dash where each of them are. Then, bring the piece of paper down to the map scale in the bottom
margin. Line up the piece of paper with the proper scale to measure how long of a distance the line represents. If the space between
the two dashes is larger than the measurement line, make another dash where the end of the line is. Then, measure to as exact a
distance as possible.
Stream Gradient - Stream gradient is found in feet per thousand feet, or ft/1000 ft. To find stream gradient, first measure the length
section of the stream in question. Then, figure out the change in elevation between the beginning and ending points of the portion of
the stream. Input these amounts into the formula "change in elevation over distance x 1000" (C.I.E/Distance x 1000) to find the
answer. String is needed for this to accurately find the distance along the stream/river.
Slope Gradient - Similar to stream gradient, use the formula "change in elevation over distance x 100" to find the answer. This
measurement, however, is along a straight line and the method mentioned in the Measuring Distances section can be used to calculate
the distance instead of a string.
Stream Flow Direction - The contour lines located on the stream will always point upstream. For example, if the contour line is
pointing NW, the stream will be flowing to the SE.
Inset Map - A smaller map that is focused on a smaller area, these are usually larger cities or places that require more details. Many
times, these are used on the Road Scholar test as regular vocabulary or as a place you may want to focus on.
Universal Transverse Mercator
You may notice smaller numbers on the margins of the map, something along the lines of two smaller numbers, two larger numbers,
and several smaller numbers. These are UTM markings, or Universal Transverse Mercator. The blue tick marks along the neat lines
of the map are also used for UTM. The numbers on the left and right sides are north-south markings, called ‘’northing’’. The
numbers on the top and bottom of the map are east-west markings, or ‘’easting’’. The UTM projection uses the metric system, so if
you aren’t familiar with it by now, which you should be, get used to it. As accuracy increases (the length of the numbers), the area
indicated by the numbers decreases.
Here’s an example of UTM:j 10 S 0559741 4282182. The first number and letter represent the zone, which is defined globally. The
first long string of numbers is easting, and the second is northing.
To accurately locate a position using UTM, you may need to use a grid overlay tool. This tool allows you to find a location within a
100m square accurately.
MRGS is an abbreviated form of UTM. It is rarely seen on the tests though.
UPS: The Universal Polar Stereographic system is for the poles. It operates on the basics of UTM. There is easting and northing,
which are only two areas it covers. It covers two circles, one at the north pole and one at the south. The middle of the south pole are
at "South 2,000km E 2,000km N" or for the north pole, "North 2,000km E 2,000km N".
Highway maps
Mileage Chart - This chart displays the exact mileage between cities. It's found on the side or back of the map, and only major cities
are located on the mileage chart. If the cities in question are not on it, you must use the numbers next to the highways on the map to
find the mileage. Adding together all of the little black numbers or red numbers (on highways) between cities also determines
mileage. It's a good idea to write down each of the numbers, as it is easy to miss a number.
Travel Time Chart - This chart shows the estimated travel time between locations by the most direct route and without any
"pit-stops". Usually it is found on the same side of the map as the state that it serves. It also has only major cities on it.
Grid System - Highway maps have a grid system. To find the grid location of a place, look to the sides of the map to see what letter
and number correspond to that place. If you are looking for a specific city, you can find the city on the chart on the side of the map.
Next to the city will be the grid description.
Population - The population of a city is usually found on the side of the map next to the city name. The grid location can also be
found there.
Inset Maps - These insets are usually found on the back of the state highway maps, and they show a close-up view of a city or
region. Questions may be asked about a specific intersection or road on that inset. If you cannot locate something on the main
highway map, the inset maps are the next place to check.
Legend - Like with quads, there is also a legend found on a highway map. It is usually found near one of the corners, although
sometimes it is on the back of the map. The legend will define what some symbols mean. It depends on what is on the map to
determine what will be in the legend. However, the different types of highways are always in the legend.
Scale - It shows how many miles and kilometers are represented by an inch. It is usually found next to the legend.
Satellite Images
Bodies of Water: consist of lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans. These are fairly easy to identify because they are often unique shapes
and shades of blue.
Let's take a look at a sample image with water.

It is clear that the segments of blue are rivers and the large area of blue is an ocean. But there is still more to bodies of water. In
tropical areas where water is pure, such as areas in Florida, you will see patches of light and dark blue. This is the difference in
sediment.

Sediments are deposits of sand, mud, or other small particles. They reflect light to color the water. Without it, in the open ocean, there
is less reflection so the water appears darker.
Vegetation: consists of all plant material. Trees, grass, and farmland all fall into this category. Vegetation is usually easy to identify
because it is usually a shade of green. Grasslands are a slightly lighter green while forests are dark green due to the population
density. Finally, farmlands are usually quadrilateral shaped and range from green to pale yellow. See the example below.

Also, vegetation can have different appearances based on seasons. In summer, vegetation is a full green. In spring, vegetation is a
paler green. In winter, vegetation is usually white with very pale mint green. And finally, in Autumn, vegetation is what you would
expect: hues of red, brown, and orange.

More on Farmland: Green to brown colored circles on satellite images can indicate farmland. The specific technique
used to create these circles is called center pivot irrigation, water-wheel, or circle irrigation. This method of irrigation
involves sprinklers being rotated around a pivot, creating the circles that you see on satellite images.

Bare Ground: consists of places where there is little to none vegetation. As one might expect, it is usually a shade of brown on a
satellite image.
The color of the bare ground depends on the mineral content of the soil. For example, soil can be red because of the presence of iron
oxide in the soil, and in places where soil is very pale, there is an abundance of silicon, calcium, and/or sodium chloride. The image
below is an example of this.

Civilization: There isn't only going to be natural features. The impact of human civilization has left cities, towns, and other places of
residency. An easy way to identify civilization is looking for densely packed locations on a map that usually do not contain many
colors other than white. Also, most major cities have a "spoke and wheel" look where there seem to be lines extending from one
central point. This is because of the roads leading into and out of the city (the spokes) and a loop highway around the city (the
wheel).

Distances and Scales: Is very similar to the topographic and highway map sections of the event as far as distances and scales go.
Usually, a scale is found in a corner of the map, such as in the lower right corner in the case of Google Maps. To find the distance
from one point to another, a process similar to the process of doing so on a topographic or highway map is used. Students may want
to use a scrap of paper on which to copy the scale given, then they will be able to use the paper as a ruler or straightedge to measure
the distance from one point to another.
In the case that a scale is not given, rarely, another way to determine distance is to approximate. Although this does not seem reliable
at first glance, there is some given information regarding distance. For example, the distance between interchanges with consecutive
exit numbers on highways is approximately one mile. Using this information, one can measure the distance between one interchange
and another to approximate the length of one mile on a satellite
Time of Day: The most common way of approximating the time of day on a satellite map is to observe the shadow projection of
objects. Since satellite maps are usually oriented so that it aligns with the arms of a compass rose, north on a satellite map is north in
real life. Because the sun revolves around us (in our perspective), we can come to the conclusion that the shadow of an object can
align with a clock to give us the time of day. For example, if the shadow of an object projects directly north, then the time of day is
either midnight or midday, depending on the lighting in the given area.
For example, in the picture below, we can observe the trees to see that the shadows point to about an azimuth of 300 degrees. Iff we
draw an imaginary clock over it and let the shadow be the hour hand, then it would be pointing to 10. Therefore, we can approximate
the time to be around 10:00 AM. For this to work, north must be facing up.

Latitude and Longitude

They measure the distance north and south of the equator, and east and west of the prime meridian, respectively. Can be broken down
into three increments: The most basic form, degrees, are identified by a small “o” following and above the number (80°). Degrees
can be broken into minutes. There are sixty minutes per degree. Minutes are identified by apostrophe (80° 15’). Minutes can be
broken into seconds. Sixty seconds in a minute and they are represented by 2 apostrophes (80° 15 '30”). BE SPECIFIC AS
POSSIBLE WHEN WRITING THESE MEASUREMENTS
- Latitude: measures distances North or South of the equator. Important to put either N or S after the coordinates. To
calculate latitude of location, take the distance from the lower sector boundary to the target object (mm preferably) and
divide it by the N-S distance across sector (mm) and multiply the value by 150. This is the distance in seconds. Then you
derive the value of degrees from the bottom neat line, and add the number of seconds you measured. Latitude example
39°45'30"N.
- Longitude: measures distances East and West of the prime meridian. Has to be labeled E or W after coordinates. Can be
calculated by taking distance from easterly sector boundary to the target object (mm preferably) and dividing it by the E-W
distance across the sector (mm), then multiply the answer by 150. The answer is in seconds. So take the longitude from the
eastern sector boundary and add it to the number of seconds measured. Longitude example 110°39'25" W

Measurement Units: Both latitude and longitude are expressed in angular units. They do not show a specific distance on the ground!
The units are the same as units of time.
A Circle (like the Earth) is divided into 360 degrees. (write as 360)
A degree is divided into 60 minutes. (write as 60' )
A minute is divided into 60 seconds (write as 60")
To write these in reverse:
sixty seconds = one minute (or 60" = 1' )
sixty minutes= one degree (or 60' = 1 )
360 degrees = a complete circle (360) around the earth, such as the equator.
Writing Latitude and Longitude: A specific location -like where you are standing - always has a specific lat/long. Your phone will
display it. The same location can be written a few different ways, but compass directions--N or S, E or W -- must always be included.
The equator and prime meridian are exceptions; they are just 0º.
The most common format is degrees, minutes, and seconds. Using only latitude for the moment: Suppose you and your phone are
standing in the middle of Times Square in New York City. Your latitude will be 40º 45' 26" N. Go a block Northwards to Starbucks,
you will be at 45° 45' 29" N. Your original latitude of 40º 45' 26" N can also be written in decimal form as 40.757º N.
Longitude works the same way. In decimal degrees West Longitude can be written as minus (-) and an East Longitude is plus (+).
US road maps show longitude as -75 º, -105. The + is usually assumed but not printed.
Latitude and Longitude on USGS 7.5 Minute Quadrangle Topo Maps: USGS Topo maps are always drawn to show a given
number of degrees of lat / long rather than a specific governmental area, such as Pennsylvania. The USGS maps in "Road Scholar"
usually cover 7' 30" of latitude by 7' 30"of longitude. The common term is "seven and a half minute maps". The drawing below
shows an imaginary USGS 7.5 min map with the full latitude marking on the right and longitude marking below. Latitude increases
South to North; Longitude East to West. As befits the name, there is a 7' 30' increase in both lat/long on the map area.
Longitude and latitude values are always shown at the four corners of a topo map. However. they show in a shortened form. N, S, E,
and W are not listed; you have to figure that out. In the US, all latitudes are North and all longitudes are West. The seconds of lat /
long are only shown if they are 30". A 00" value is omitted. The Mapscan below shows the four corners of a specific USGS map.

How Big Is a Degree on the Earth's surface? Because degrees are angles rather than specific distances, it depends on where you are.
The earth has a circumference of about 24,000 miles at the equator. Assuming the Earth is a perfect sphere, then at the equator (Oº
latitude) there are 360º of longitude. One degree of longitude = 24,000/360 or about 67 miles East-West. However, since longitude
lines converge as you move toward the poles, a degree of longitude contains many fewer miles as you move North or South from the
equator. Both maps below are USGS 7.5 minutes. Because of the northward convergence of longitude meridians, the map area of a
map further North is narrower than that of a map further South.
 Watersheds
Rainwater or snowmelt runs downhill, either on the surface or as groundwater. It finds its way into bodies of water such as streams,
rivers, lakes, etc. The entire area that has its water drain into a given body of water is that body's watershed. A large watershed such
as the Mississippi River contains many smaller ones. Watersheds may also be called Basins.

Watershed Boundaries: Sometimes, Watershed boundaries are clearly marked. Otherwise the highest point between two watersheds
can be located on USGS topo maps.
Water Flow Direction: In any steep slope, the direction of water flow in a stream can be deduced from the contour lines. Stream
flow causes erosion into the slope, resulting in a V-shaped pattern that points upstream. Coastal rivers can have strong tidal
influences and may reverse the direction of flow with tides.
Measuring Water Flow: Stream Gages The USGS maintains a network of stream gages around the country. On topo maps, stream
gages are shown by the symbol below: Since this symbol is easy to recognize, gages are frequent targets for latitude /longitude
questions. Stream gages continuously record water depth in the stream. USGS Stream Gages are generally solar powered and data
uploads to satellites for remote access. The amount of water flowing through a stream is important for everything downstream from
the gage from irrigation to shipping, and essential to predict floods.
Magnetic Declination
Magnetic declination (also called magnetic variation) is the difference between magnetic north and true north on a map. While a
compass needle aligns with the Earth's magnetic field, it does not always point directly to true north. Instead, it points some
degrees to the west or east of true north, which is referred to as:
West Declination: The compass needle points west of true north.
East Declination: The compass needle points east of true north.
Declination is expressed in degrees and is a critical consideration for anyone navigating with a map and compass.
Compass Alignment and North Indicators: on a map or in real life: there are three types of North:
1. True North – Geographical North (the actual North Pole).
2. Magnetic North – Where a compass needle aligns.
3. Grid North – Found on maps that use the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) grid lines.
When working with UTM grids, you may need to use the Grid Magnetic Angle instead of the declination angle for more accurate
navigation. However, for most recreational navigation purposes, this angle is usually so small that it can often be disregarded.
How to Find Declination on a Map: Topographic maps typically include an illustration showing declination. This illustration may
include:
- A star representing True North
- A harpoon-like line representing Magnetic North
The difference between these two lines is the declination angle (e.g., 2.5 degrees). This information helps you determine the
necessary adjustments for your compass bearing.
Calculating with Declination:
West Declination- When dealing with west declination, the conversion between true and magnetic bearings follows these simple
rules:
To convert from a map bearing (true bearing) to a compass bearing (magnetic bearing): Add the declination angle.
To convert from a magnetic bearing back to a map bearing: Subtract the declination angle.
Key Rule for West Declination:
Magnetic bearings are always larger than true bearings. Use this rule to quickly determine whether to add or subtract the
declination angle.
Example:
If your map bearing is 100 degrees and the declination is 10 degrees West, your magnetic bearing would be 110 degrees.
East Declination-
For east declination, the conversion process is the reverse:
To convert from a map bearing to a magnetic bearing: Subtract the declination angle.
To convert back from a magnetic bearing to a map bearing: Add the declination angle.
Key Rule for East Declination:
True bearings are always larger than magnetic bearings.
Example:
If the declination is 10 degrees East and you need to travel in the direction of 220 degrees, dial 210 degrees into your compass by
subtracting the declination.
Student Drawn Map
Legend: Place the legend in a corner of the map (e.g., bottom left or right). Include symbols and their explanations, such as: Roads: Solid black lines;, Streams:
Blue wavy lines; Contour lines: Brown lines with labeled elevations; Benchmarks: “X” or triangle with elevation labeled.
b. Township(left side top) and Range (Right side top) Grid: Use a grid overlay to include the PLSS (Public Land Survey System): Divide the map into
townships (6x6 miles) and sections (1x1 mile).Label townships with Township numbers (e.g., T3N) and ranges (e.g., R2E).Place this labeling along the top and
side margins of the map.
c. Scale and Orientation: Add a bar scale at the bottom or side of the map to indicate distance conversions (e.g., 1 inch = 1 mile). Include a compass rose or
north arrow in the top-right or bottom-left corner to show orientation.
d. Title: Center the title at the top of the map (e.g., “Student-Drawn Map of XYZ Region”).
e. Coordinate System: Use latitude and longitude (if required) or UTM grid lines for additional location referencing.

PLSS
Most maps use a grid system- a series of real or imaginary lines running vertically (or North-South) and horizontally (or East-West).
Five different grid systems are used in Road Scholar:
1. Road Map (for example, AAA) Grid
2. USGS Map Sector Reference Grid
3. Latitude and Longitude
4. Public Land Survey System (PLSS)
5. Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM)
Simple grids like Road Map grid references and Map Sector Reference System are very easy and fast to use. More detailed grids like
Lat/Long and UTM take more time and involve math but yield much more precise locations.
Land Ownership, Boundaries, and Surveys: A person who owns land must have a legal deed to their property. The deed is a
written legal document that lists the property boundaries of the property. A survey is a plotting, on earth’s surface, of the exact
property boundaries. The deeds for all properties in an area must agree as to where the exact property lines are so that disputes can be
settled. Land survey systems in various parts of the world have been developed for this purpose.
The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) Background: The United States originally contained 13 states, although state boundaries
were hotly contested. One well known dispute over state boundaries between states was a pre revolutionary fight between
Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware over their mutual boundaries. Surveyors Mason and Dixon marked out a mutually agreed on
state line; many of its stone boundary markers are still standing. The stone below shows "M" on the Maryland side.
Most of the land in each state was already surveyed, property lines were drawn, and the land was owned by someone. In the treaty
ending the Revolution, the US acquired the area now comprising the Midwest states from Britain. The federal government wanted to
sell these lands to citizens for settlement. Before land could be sold, a uniform new system was developed so land boundaries could
be established, and people could purchase a clearly defined piece of land. Thomas Jefferson, who was a trained surveyor, proposed
the PLSS grid as this new system. PLSS was not applied back to the original 13 colonies, and some future states had already been
divided according to Spanish, French, or Polynesian systems. If you live in a PLSS state, your property description deed and survey
use the PLSS grid to show boundaries. If you are in one of the original 13 states, you have a "metes and bounds" description using
compass bearings and distances from various landmarks- a certain tree, a big rock, a stream, etc. PLSS is a rectangular grid system
and shows on most USGS maps as a red grid of one- mile squares. If you look down from an airplane flying over much of the U.S.,
you may notice farms and roads set up in large squares-a result of PLSS.
To establish PLSS in an area, surveyors drew a Base Line (East-West) and a Principal Meridian (North-South). The intersection of
these two lines was their starting point. The land along these lines was divided into Towns of 36 square miles. (These "towns" are
not towns with stores and people, just areas of land). Towns were given numbers - Town 1 North was just north of the Base Line,
Town 7 South was the seventh town south of the Base Line. East West variations were named Range. A given 36 square mile area
thus might be Town 3N (3 towns north from Base Line), Range 13 East (13 towns east of the Principal Meridian).
-> Notice that the number pattern is not like print on a page. This made perfect sense to surveyors walking on the ground, because
they had to walk from one section to another to do the surveys. You would not finish a row of sections and then walk back six miles
to start again; you just turn around and work the other way. It's like cutting grass. There is even a $10 word for this:
"boustrophedonically", from ancient Greek. It means "I'm doing this survey the same way I would plow a field with my pair of
oxen!" Each PLSS section is shown on topo maps with red boundaries and section numbers. Town and Range numbers are on the
neat lines, or map boundaries. The Mapscan below shows the township and range notation. The sections often, but not always, line
up perfectly. The red grid lines do not show over large lakes, etc. In flat areas, the red grid lines can be hard to see because roads are
often built right on them.

The rule of 36 sections per town is almost always followed. Sometimes, you may encounter a topo map with PLSS Sections above
36, for some reason that made sense to the surveyors on the ground when the map was drawn. See Mapscan below from USGS
Hood River, OR 1984. This portion of the map shows the junction of the smaller Hood River with the larger Columbia River. (Hood
River is both a River and the name of a city).
Locating Places: Within a PLSS Section PLSS sections are usually one square mile, or 640 acres. That's a large area, so each section
can be divided into four quarters. Each quarter section is 160 acres. Assuming the soil is good, that is about the amount of land
needed for a pretty good, sustainable family farm working on horse power in 1800. These quarter sections are not marked on the
USGS maps; you can figure out their boundaries with some measurements and math.To determine the quarter sections on a USGS
map, measure the N-S boundary and divide in half; likewise for the E-W boundary. Use your ruler to check the location of a given
feature.
PLSS and Map Drawing Problems in Road: Road Scholar events often contain a map drawing problem. Specs call for you to be
given a one square mile grid, and you will be asked to draw in specific features. The "one square mile" makes it likely that event
writers will use PLSS to locate the features. Careful map drawing is very time consuming, with color requirements at state and
national levels. Many teams have one member start with the map draw while the second starts the other questions.
-> Sections can be broken down further as needed-for example to the N 1/2 of the SE1/4, SW1/4, etc. Since PLSS sections are
defined as one mile on each side, you can save some time by making up an overlay 1 x 1 mile square, drawn at 1:24000 ahead of
time, with the quarter sections, etc., marked. Use the scale bar on a hard copy topo. PLSS sections are almost, but not always, 1 x 1
mile, so your grid may not be an exact fit. Sometimes boundaries are indefinite, cut off, or otherwise unusual. PLSS grids do not
show in bodies of water.
PLSS and Land Settlement: The PLSS system lets the US Government sell land to settlers and give them accurate deeds. The
going price, for about a hundred years, was $2 per acre- several day's wages at the time. Under the Homestead Act of 1862, some of
the land in western states was free for any man or woman. You could claim a Quarter- Section (160 acres) of unsettled land for free.
You had to live on the land, secure a water source, build a house and produce a crop within five years; then you owned it. You could
still homestead in Alaska until1986. You never received mineral rights to homestead land; the US government keeps those tight and
can sell them. If Exxon finds oil, you do not get paid for the oil.
Metes and Bounds Survey System: "Metes and Bounds" is a traditional English method of describing land boundaries. These
boundaries were originally used to define the limits of a town or church parish, but also apply to individual farms or other land. The
usual elements of a metes and bounds description are:
1. Known recognizable landmarks- a certain rock, a particular tree, a stream, etc.
2. The metes are the direction (usually compass bearings) and distances between landmarks. They form the boundary lines that
surround the land.
3. The bounds are the names of the landowners who border the property.
Just as with PLSS, a Metes and Bounds description and survey legally define lands for identification, tax assessment, and sale/purchase.
Metes and Bounds deeds are written in the following fashion: "Encompassing all that tract of land in the Town of Ancram, County of
Columbia, State of New York, bounded as follows: Beginning at the most Southerly located point at a large rock, then proceeding along the
lands of Corsini, North 28 ° 13' 50" East 435.2 feet to an iron spike in an old roadway; thence North 23 24' 30" West 243.0 feet to a certain
36" Oak Tree, along the lands of Quinn......thence to the beginning point... containing 9.997 acres of land. "
In England many centuries ago, it was customary for the men and young boys of a parish or town to assemble each spring and spend several
days "beating the bounds". The goal was to teach the younger generation the boundaries when few people could read or write. As a group,
they would walk around the town boundaries from one landmark to another, along the metes, until they returned to the starting point. At each
stop, the boys would beat the landmark with sticks. That way, they would learn to recognize each of the important points. In some New
England states, “Beating the Bounds" is still a requirement for town or state officials. No sticks anymore!