The two reference lines drawn are called the Principal Meridian -a line running from north to south- and the Baseline -a line running from east to west.Two reference lines are drawn from the Fixed Point of Beginning -this is a surveyor's mark at a well-known landmark that serves as the starting location from which the baselines and principal meridians are drawn to survey the land.The government survey system describes real property using the following structure: How Does the Government Survey System Work? This system has also been used to prevent survey fraud and simplify land allocation for different purposes, such as schools and urban development.

It is used to identify the specific location of land, divide, measure, and create boundary lines to aid the sale of these lands and settle disputes among property owners. It is a system based on the principle of meridian lines – running from north to south – and baselines – running from east to west – across most of the United States. The rectangular survey system was one of the ways developed to achieve this. A government survey system, also known as the rectangular survey system, is a federal land survey system created by the Land Ordinance in 1785.ĭue to the continuous growth in the United States territory, the need arose for a system through which property owners could identify their real property.

How township and range system works