Unit 7-4: Legal land descriptions

Question 1

Undivided land

Answer 1

based on grid system
started in 1871
meridian - range - township - section - quarter section - legal subdivision (LSD)

Question 2

Meridians

Answer 2

long lines north-south
AB has 4, 5, 6th meridians
described as “west of the # meridian”
correction lines used every 24 miles to correct for curvature of earth

Question 3

Ranges

Answer 3

Long lines
six miles apart and run btwn meridians; numbered moving west from each meridian

Question 4

Townships

Answer 4

East and west lines 6 miles apart
when crosses a range line squares are called townships; numbered 1 at southern AB border to 126 at northern border

Question 5

Sections

Answer 5

Townships divided into sections
36 square miles of a township (6x6 north-south) further divided into 36 sections, 1 mile square (640 acres)

Question 6

Quarter sections

Answer 6

sections divided into quarter sections
describes NW, NE, SW, SE quarter etc. Each quarter is 160 acres

Question 7

Legal subdivision

Answer 7

specific quarter of quarter section; is 40 acres numbered from SE to NE corner in a S zigzag (bottom left up to top left)

Question 8

Legal land description

Answer 8

LSD1-17-42-1-W5

Legal subdivision 1 of section 17, township 42, range 1, west of the 5th meridian

Question 9

SE1/4-14-42-1-W5

Answer 9

SE quarter of section 14, township 42, range 1, west of 5th meridian

Question 10

Subdivided land

Answer 10

Described by plan (drawing) rather than words (metes and bounds)

Question 11

Survey plan

Answer 11

Uses Plan, block, lot number instead
Condo also uses unit number