Public Land Survey System (PLSS)

PLSS - [surveying] Acronym for Public Land Survey System. The description of the location of land in the United States using a survey system established by the federal government in 1785. The system is based on the concept of a township, a square parcel of land measuring 6 miles on each side. The township's position is described as a number of 6-mile units east of a north-south line (called the meridian) and north or south of an east-west line (called the baseline). Each township is divided into 36 sections, each of which is 1 square mile. A section is divided into quarters equal to 160 acres. The quarter section may be further divided into four 40-acre parcels. The PLSS is also called the rectangular survey.

[Category=Geospatial ]

Source: esri, 12 July 2012 09:38:40, http://support.esri.com/en/knowledgebase/GISDictionary/term/abbreviation