Wyoming PLSS Legal Land Description Guide

Wyoming sits at the center of two of the most active oil and gas basins in the United States, and both of them run on a single survey grid. The Powder River Basin in the northeast and the Wind River Basin in the center carry the state's highest Application for Permit to Drill volumes, with field season peaking each May and June. Coal operators in Campbell County, trona miners in Sweetwater County, ranchers holding BLM grazing allotments, and elk hunters navigating millions of acres of public land all read the same system: the Public Land Survey System measured from the Sixth Principal Meridian.

This guide covers how Wyoming's PLSS grid works, including the Sixth Principal Meridian, section numbering, quarter section notation, BLM field office routing, and how legal descriptions function across the state's major industries.

The Sixth Principal Meridian

The Sixth Principal Meridian is the single origin point for all PLSS surveys in Wyoming. Its initial point is a brass cap at the Kansas-Nebraska border in Republic County, Kansas, where the meridian line (approximately 97°22' W longitude) intersects the base line (40° N latitude).

From that initial point, every township and range in Wyoming is measured:

• Townships are numbered North from the base line. Wyoming lies entirely north of the 40th parallel, so all Wyoming townships carry a North designation. Powder River Basin townships run from roughly T40N near Casper to T58N near the Montana border; Wind River Basin townships run from T1N near the central core to T11N toward the Bighorn Basin.
• Ranges are numbered West from the meridian line. Wyoming ranges run from R55W along the Nebraska border to R121W in the Yellowstone region.

Because Wyoming falls under a single meridian, every legal description in the state points to the same grid. There is no ambiguity about which meridian applies.

A typical Wyoming legal description:

NE/4 SW/4 Section 22, Township 49 North, Range 73 West, Sixth Principal Meridian

Shorthand:

NESW 22-49N-73W 6th PM

This describes a 40-acre tract in the Powder River Basin, in Campbell County. The high township number (T49N) places it far north of the Kansas baseline. The high range number (R73W) places it well west of the meridian.

Section Numbering

Wyoming follows the standard PLSS serpentine section numbering pattern. Each township (approximately 6 miles by 6 miles) is divided into 36 sections of roughly one square mile (640 acres):

+----+----+----+----+----+----+
|  6 |  5 |  4 |  3 |  2 |  1 |
+----+----+----+----+----+----+
|  7 |  8 |  9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
+----+----+----+----+----+----+
| 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 |
+----+----+----+----+----+----+
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
+----+----+----+----+----+----+
| 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 |
+----+----+----+----+----+----+
| 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 |
+----+----+----+----+----+----+

Section 1 is in the northeast corner, numbering runs right to left across the top row, then left to right across the second row, alternating through all six rows. Section 36 is in the southeast corner.

In Wyoming's mountainous western third, sections are frequently irregular. Steep terrain in the Wind Rivers, the Absarokas, and the Bighorn Mountains creates fractional sections and government lots. The BLM survey plats for mountain townships show the actual boundaries, which can differ significantly from the standard square-mile grid. On the plains of the Powder River Basin and eastern Wyoming, sections tend to be more regular, though correction lines along standard parallels still produce fractional sections on the north and west edges of townships.

Quarter Section Subdivisions

Each section divides into four quarter sections, each approximately 160 acres:

• NE: Northeast Quarter
• NW: Northwest Quarter
• SE: Southeast Quarter
• SW: Southwest Quarter

Quarter sections subdivide further into quarter-quarter sections of 40 acres:

NE/4 SW/4 Section 22, T49N, R73W, 6th PM

This identifies the Northeast Quarter of the Southwest Quarter, a 40-acre parcel in Campbell County. In Wyoming oil and gas work, the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (WOGCC) requires APD filings to specify well locations to the quarter-quarter section level, plus footage calls from section lines. A horizontal well in the Powder River Basin might have:

• Surface location: NE/4 SW/4 Section 22, T49N, R73W
• Bottomhole location: SW/4 NW/4 Section 27, T49N, R73W

Both are required on Form WOGCC-1 to define the wellbore path, spacing unit, and mineral ownership assignments.

Oil and Gas in Wyoming

Wyoming is one of the top oil and gas producing states in the country, with two major basin systems that drive APD volume and regulatory filing activity.

Powder River Basin

The Powder River Basin covers northeastern Wyoming across Campbell, Converse, Crook, Johnson, and Sheridan counties. Townships in the basin run roughly T40N through T58N, ranges R60W through R80W. Formations targeted include the Niobrara, Turner, Frontier, and the shallow Parkman and Sussex sandstones. The basin also contains the most productive coalbed methane fairway in the United States.

The WOGCC requires PLSS descriptions on every permit application, spacing order, and well completion report. An APD for a Niobrara well in Campbell County looks like:

660' FNL 660' FEL SE/4 NE/4 Section 3, T54N, R72W, 6th PM, Campbell County

The footage calls (660 feet from the north line and east line) place the surface location at the standard corner, one-eighth of a mile from the section boundary.

BLM routing in the Powder River Basin depends on the township. The Buffalo Field Office handles permits in Campbell, Johnson, and Sheridan counties. A transposed range number, R72W instead of R27W, routes the application to the wrong office and wrong state. That error does not get caught by a quick scan; it takes a map check against the coordinates.

Wind River Basin

The Wind River Basin covers central Wyoming in Fremont, Natrona, Hot Springs, Washakie, and parts of Park County. Active formations include the Frontier, Mowry, Mesa Verde, and older Paleozoic targets in the deeper parts of the basin. The BLM Lander Field Office covers most Wind River Basin APDs.

Wind River Basin townships sit lower numerically than the Powder River Basin because they are closer to the 40th parallel base line: T1N through T11N for much of the core, with higher township numbers in the Bighorn Basin to the north. Ranges run from roughly R85W to R111W.

A Wind River Basin well location might read:

SW/4 NE/4 Section 18, T4N, R2E, 6th PM, Fremont County

Note the East range designation: some townships near the meridian line carry range-east numbers rather than range-west. This is uncommon in Wyoming but occurs in the eastern portion of the Wind River Basin near the Casper area.

Bighorn Basin

The Bighorn Basin in northwestern Wyoming (Park, Washakie, Big Horn counties) is the third major active basin. The Worland Field Office and Cody Field Office handle BLM permits in this area. Bighorn Basin APDs reference high township numbers (T47N to T58N) and high range-west numbers (R90W to R105W), reflecting the basin's position far north and far west of the Kansas initial point.

Coal

Wyoming produces more coal than any other state in the country, and nearly all of it comes from Campbell County in the Powder River Basin. Surface mines such as North Antelope Rochelle and Black Thunder each produce over 60 million tons per year from seams 70 to 100 feet thick.

Every coal mining permit application filed with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) and the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) requires precise PLSS legal descriptions for mine boundaries, haul roads, and disturbance areas. A mine permit area in Campbell County might be described as:

Sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, T51N, R71W, 6th PM

This six-section block (approximately 3,840 acres) defines the area approved for surface disturbance. Permitted mine boundaries are tied to the section grid, and any expansion requires a new PLSS description on the amended permit.

Federal coal leases on BLM-managed mineral estate also carry PLSS descriptions. The BLM issues coal leases in blocks defined to the quarter section, and production royalties are tracked against the specific lease tracts. An operator producing from federal minerals must match the production records to the lease description at the quarter-section level.

Trona and Mineral Mining

Wyoming holds the world's largest known trona (sodium carbonate) deposits, concentrated in Sweetwater County in the Green River Basin (T19N to T26N, R95W to R113W). Underground trona mines operate under lease agreements with the BLM that describe mining claim boundaries in PLSS terms.

A trona mine lease block in Sweetwater County might reference:

NE/4 and N/2 SE/4 Section 14, T22N, R108W, 6th PM

This describes 240 acres (the northeast quarter and the north half of the southeast quarter) included in a federal mineral lease. Because trona deposits occur deep underground at specific formation depths, the lease describes both the surface PLSS location and the subsurface interval. Multiple overlapping leases at different depths can exist in the same section.

The BLM Rock Springs Field Office manages most federal mineral leasing in Sweetwater County, including trona, oil shale, and natural gas.

Agriculture and Ranching

Wyoming agriculture spans cattle, sheep, hay, and dryland grain across the high plains and river valleys. USDA Farm Service Agency offices use PLSS descriptions to identify fields for crop insurance, disaster assistance, and Conservation Reserve Program enrollments.

A ranch in Goshen County might file a crop insurance claim on:

E/2 Section 24, T23N, R61W, 6th PM

The E/2 notation (East Half) covers the northeast and southeast quarters combined, totaling 320 acres. FSA ties this description to the Common Land Unit (CLU) and acreage records for the operation.

BLM grazing allotments on Wyoming's public lands are described using PLSS sections and quarter sections. A grazing permit in Carbon County might include:

Sections 1–18, T21N, R89W, 6th PM, Carbon County (approximately 11,520 acres)

Ranchers holding BLM grazing leases need to know their allotment boundaries by section to manage livestock movement and comply with permit conditions. State trust land sections (primarily Sections 16 and 36 in each township) were granted to Wyoming at statehood and are managed by the Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments for revenue generation through grazing leases, mineral development, and timber sales.

Hunting and Recreation

Wyoming has over 49 million acres of public land, including Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone, and portions of seven national forests. Wyoming Game and Fish Department uses PLSS descriptions in hunt area boundaries, game management unit maps, and public land access information.

Pronghorn antelope, elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep hunting in Wyoming depends on knowing exactly which sections are open to the public versus private. A walk-in hunting area in Sweetwater County might be described as:

Sections 9, 10, 15, 16, T17N, R101W, 6th PM

Hunters checking access in the Wyoming Range, the Bighorn Mountains, or the Red Desert need to verify land ownership section by section before the trip. A PLSS converter gives GPS coordinates to load into a mapping app or GPS unit before entering the field.

In remote sections of the state where cell coverage is absent, caching survey coordinates before leaving the road prevents access errors. Section lines that look clear on paper can mean the difference between public access and a trespass violation.

Common Wyoming Legal Description Formats

Wyoming legal descriptions appear in several standard formats:

Full legal (deed or lease):

The Northeast Quarter of the Southwest Quarter (NE/4 SW/4) of Section Twenty-Two (22),
Township Forty-Nine (49) North, Range Seventy-Three (73) West
of the Sixth Principal Meridian, Wyoming

WOGCC regulatory filing:

NE/4 SW/4 Sec. 22, T49N, R73W, 6th PM

BLM format:

T. 49 N., R. 73 W., 6th P.M., Sec. 22, NE/4 SW/4

Shorthand (landman notes):

NESW 22-49N-73W

All four formats describe the same 40-acre parcel. Township America's PLSS converter accepts all common Wyoming formats and returns GPS coordinates for the parcel center.

Tips for Working with Wyoming PLSS

1. One meridian, no ambiguity. Every PLSS description in Wyoming references the Sixth Principal Meridian. You will not encounter meridian confusion like in Colorado or New Mexico. But always write out "6th PM" or "Sixth Principal Meridian" in formal documents to prevent any future question.
2. Township numbers tell you north-south position. T40N is near Casper and Rawlins. T57N is near the Montana border. T1N is near the center of the state. A quick look at the township number places you in the right basin before you look at anything else.
3. Range numbers tell you east-west position. R60W is near the Nebraska border, R80W puts you in the core of the Powder River Basin, R100W puts you in the Bighorn or Wind River Basin, and R115W and above are in the Yellowstone and Teton region. A transposed range number moves a well location by 6 miles per range; two wrong digits can move it 60 miles.
4. Know your BLM field office. Buffalo covers Campbell, Johnson, and Sheridan (Powder River Basin). Lander covers Fremont (Wind River Basin). Worland and Cody cover Park, Washakie, and Big Horn (Bighorn Basin). Rock Springs covers Sweetwater and Carbon (Green River Basin). The PLSS description determines routing; an incorrect range sends your APD to the wrong office.
5. Verify surface and bottomhole locations separately. Wyoming horizontal wells can have surface and bottomhole locations in different sections. The WOGCC requires both on the permit. Convert each independently and confirm the bottomhole location falls within the stated spacing unit.
6. Check for fractional sections in mountain townships. Mountain townships in the Wind Rivers, Absarokas, and Bighorns contain government lots and fractional sections. Never assume standard 160-acre quarter sections in these areas. Consult the BLM survey plat for the specific township.
7. Use the converter for field verification. Before heading into the PRB or the Wind River range, convert your target descriptions to GPS coordinates and load them into a GPS unit or offline mapping app. At the remote end of a Powder River field road, confirming section location from a cached coordinate takes seconds.

Convert Wyoming PLSS Descriptions

Whether you are preparing an APD for a Powder River Basin well, researching a federal coal lease in Campbell County, checking a trona mine boundary in Sweetwater County, or planning an elk hunt in the Bighorn Mountains, accurate PLSS conversion prevents field errors and regulatory delays. Township America covers all Wyoming townships and sections under the Sixth Principal Meridian.

Paste a Wyoming legal description and get GPS coordinates back immediately.

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