[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"learn-state-wyoming":3,"learn-state-related-wyoming":532},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"converterLink":355,"createdAt":505,"cta":506,"description":507,"draft":508,"extension":509,"icon":510,"industry":510,"keywords":511,"meridian":510,"meta":521,"navigation":522,"path":523,"relatedPages":524,"section":527,"seo":528,"state":529,"stem":530,"updatedAt":505,"__hash__":531},"learn\u002Flearn\u002Fstates\u002Fwyoming.md","Wyoming PLSS Legal Land Description Guide",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":486},"minimark",[9,13,17,20,25,34,37,54,57,60,71,74,80,83,87,90,96,99,102,106,114,140,143,149,152,166,169,173,176,181,184,193,199,202,209,213,220,223,226,232,235,239,250,254,257,265,271,274,277,281,284,287,293,296,303,307,310,313,319,322,325,331,334,338,341,344,350,358,361,365,368,373,379,384,390,395,401,406,412,418,422,471,475,478,481],[10,11,5],"h1",{"id":12},"wyoming-plss-legal-land-description-guide",[14,15,16],"p",{},"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.",[14,18,19],{},"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.",[21,22,24],"h2",{"id":23},"the-sixth-principal-meridian","The Sixth Principal Meridian",[14,26,27,28,33],{},"The ",[29,30,32],"a",{"href":31},"\u002Flearn\u002Fmeridians\u002Fsixth-principal-meridian","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).",[14,35,36],{},"From that initial point, every township and range in Wyoming is measured:",[38,39,40,48],"ul",{},[41,42,43,47],"li",{},[44,45,46],"strong",{},"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.",[41,49,50,53],{},[44,51,52],{},"Ranges"," are numbered West from the meridian line. Wyoming ranges run from R55W along the Nebraska border to R121W in the Yellowstone region.",[14,55,56],{},"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.",[14,58,59],{},"A typical Wyoming legal description:",[61,62,67],"pre",{"className":63,"code":65,"language":66},[64],"language-text","NE\u002F4 SW\u002F4 Section 22, Township 49 North, Range 73 West, Sixth Principal Meridian\n","text",[68,69,65],"code",{"__ignoreMap":70},"",[14,72,73],{},"Shorthand:",[61,75,78],{"className":76,"code":77,"language":66},[64],"NESW 22-49N-73W 6th PM\n",[68,79,77],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,81,82],{},"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.",[21,84,86],{"id":85},"section-numbering","Section Numbering",[14,88,89],{},"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):",[61,91,94],{"className":92,"code":93,"language":66},[64],"+----+----+----+----+----+----+\n|  6 |  5 |  4 |  3 |  2 |  1 |\n+----+----+----+----+----+----+\n|  7 |  8 |  9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |\n+----+----+----+----+----+----+\n| 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 |\n+----+----+----+----+----+----+\n| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |\n+----+----+----+----+----+----+\n| 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 |\n+----+----+----+----+----+----+\n| 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 |\n+----+----+----+----+----+----+\n",[68,95,93],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,97,98],{},"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.",[14,100,101],{},"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.",[21,103,105],{"id":104},"quarter-section-subdivisions","Quarter Section Subdivisions",[14,107,108,109,113],{},"Each section divides into four ",[29,110,112],{"href":111},"\u002Flearn\u002Fplss\u002Fquarter-sections","quarter sections",", each approximately 160 acres:",[38,115,116,122,128,134],{},[41,117,118,121],{},[44,119,120],{},"NE",": Northeast Quarter",[41,123,124,127],{},[44,125,126],{},"NW",": Northwest Quarter",[41,129,130,133],{},[44,131,132],{},"SE",": Southeast Quarter",[41,135,136,139],{},[44,137,138],{},"SW",": Southwest Quarter",[14,141,142],{},"Quarter sections subdivide further into quarter-quarter sections of 40 acres:",[61,144,147],{"className":145,"code":146,"language":66},[64],"NE\u002F4 SW\u002F4 Section 22, T49N, R73W, 6th PM\n",[68,148,146],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,150,151],{},"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:",[38,153,154,160],{},[41,155,156,159],{},[44,157,158],{},"Surface location:"," NE\u002F4 SW\u002F4 Section 22, T49N, R73W",[41,161,162,165],{},[44,163,164],{},"Bottomhole location:"," SW\u002F4 NW\u002F4 Section 27, T49N, R73W",[14,167,168],{},"Both are required on Form WOGCC-1 to define the wellbore path, spacing unit, and mineral ownership assignments.",[21,170,172],{"id":171},"oil-and-gas-in-wyoming","Oil and Gas in Wyoming",[14,174,175],{},"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.",[177,178,180],"h3",{"id":179},"powder-river-basin","Powder River Basin",[14,182,183],{},"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.",[14,185,27,186,192],{},[29,187,191],{"href":188,"rel":189},"https:\u002F\u002Fwogcc.wyo.gov",[190],"nofollow","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:",[61,194,197],{"className":195,"code":196,"language":66},[64],"660' FNL 660' FEL SE\u002F4 NE\u002F4 Section 3, T54N, R72W, 6th PM, Campbell County\n",[68,198,196],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,200,201],{},"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.",[14,203,204,205,208],{},"BLM routing in the Powder River Basin depends on the township. The ",[44,206,207],{},"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.",[177,210,212],{"id":211},"wind-river-basin","Wind River Basin",[14,214,215,216,219],{},"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 ",[44,217,218],{},"Lander Field Office"," covers most Wind River Basin APDs.",[14,221,222],{},"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.",[14,224,225],{},"A Wind River Basin well location might read:",[61,227,230],{"className":228,"code":229,"language":66},[64],"SW\u002F4 NE\u002F4 Section 18, T4N, R2E, 6th PM, Fremont County\n",[68,231,229],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,233,234],{},"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.",[177,236,238],{"id":237},"bighorn-basin","Bighorn Basin",[14,240,241,242,245,246,249],{},"The Bighorn Basin in northwestern Wyoming (Park, Washakie, Big Horn counties) is the third major active basin. The ",[44,243,244],{},"Worland Field Office"," and ",[44,247,248],{},"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.",[21,251,253],{"id":252},"coal","Coal",[14,255,256],{},"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.",[14,258,259,260,264],{},"Every ",[29,261,263],{"href":262},"\u002Flearn\u002Findustries\u002Fmining","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:",[61,266,269],{"className":267,"code":268,"language":66},[64],"Sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, T51N, R71W, 6th PM\n",[68,270,268],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,272,273],{},"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.",[14,275,276],{},"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.",[21,278,280],{"id":279},"trona-and-mineral-mining","Trona and Mineral Mining",[14,282,283],{},"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.",[14,285,286],{},"A trona mine lease block in Sweetwater County might reference:",[61,288,291],{"className":289,"code":290,"language":66},[64],"NE\u002F4 and N\u002F2 SE\u002F4 Section 14, T22N, R108W, 6th PM\n",[68,292,290],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,294,295],{},"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.",[14,297,298,299,302],{},"The BLM ",[44,300,301],{},"Rock Springs Field Office"," manages most federal mineral leasing in Sweetwater County, including trona, oil shale, and natural gas.",[21,304,306],{"id":305},"agriculture-and-ranching","Agriculture and Ranching",[14,308,309],{},"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.",[14,311,312],{},"A ranch in Goshen County might file a crop insurance claim on:",[61,314,317],{"className":315,"code":316,"language":66},[64],"E\u002F2 Section 24, T23N, R61W, 6th PM\n",[68,318,316],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,320,321],{},"The E\u002F2 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.",[14,323,324],{},"BLM grazing allotments on Wyoming's public lands are described using PLSS sections and quarter sections. A grazing permit in Carbon County might include:",[61,326,329],{"className":327,"code":328,"language":66},[64],"Sections 1–18, T21N, R89W, 6th PM, Carbon County (approximately 11,520 acres)\n",[68,330,328],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,332,333],{},"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.",[21,335,337],{"id":336},"hunting-and-recreation","Hunting and Recreation",[14,339,340],{},"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.",[14,342,343],{},"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:",[61,345,348],{"className":346,"code":347,"language":66},[64],"Sections 9, 10, 15, 16, T17N, R101W, 6th PM\n",[68,349,347],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,351,352,353,357],{},"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 ",[29,354,356],{"href":355},"\u002Fwyoming-plss-converter","PLSS converter"," gives GPS coordinates to load into a mapping app or GPS unit before entering the field.",[14,359,360],{},"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.",[21,362,364],{"id":363},"common-wyoming-legal-description-formats","Common Wyoming Legal Description Formats",[14,366,367],{},"Wyoming legal descriptions appear in several standard formats:",[14,369,370],{},[44,371,372],{},"Full legal (deed or lease):",[61,374,377],{"className":375,"code":376,"language":66},[64],"The Northeast Quarter of the Southwest Quarter (NE\u002F4 SW\u002F4) of Section Twenty-Two (22),\nTownship Forty-Nine (49) North, Range Seventy-Three (73) West\nof the Sixth Principal Meridian, Wyoming\n",[68,378,376],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,380,381],{},[44,382,383],{},"WOGCC regulatory filing:",[61,385,388],{"className":386,"code":387,"language":66},[64],"NE\u002F4 SW\u002F4 Sec. 22, T49N, R73W, 6th PM\n",[68,389,387],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,391,392],{},[44,393,394],{},"BLM format:",[61,396,399],{"className":397,"code":398,"language":66},[64],"T. 49 N., R. 73 W., 6th P.M., Sec. 22, NE\u002F4 SW\u002F4\n",[68,400,398],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,402,403],{},[44,404,405],{},"Shorthand (landman notes):",[61,407,410],{"className":408,"code":409,"language":66},[64],"NESW 22-49N-73W\n",[68,411,409],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,413,414,415,417],{},"All four formats describe the same 40-acre parcel. Township America's ",[29,416,356],{"href":355}," accepts all common Wyoming formats and returns GPS coordinates for the parcel center.",[21,419,421],{"id":420},"tips-for-working-with-wyoming-plss","Tips for Working with Wyoming PLSS",[423,424,425,431,437,443,449,455,461],"ol",{},[41,426,427,430],{},[44,428,429],{},"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.",[41,432,433,436],{},[44,434,435],{},"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.",[41,438,439,442],{},[44,440,441],{},"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.",[41,444,445,448],{},[44,446,447],{},"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.",[41,450,451,454],{},[44,452,453],{},"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.",[41,456,457,460],{},[44,458,459],{},"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.",[41,462,463,466,467,470],{},[44,464,465],{},"Use the converter for field verification."," Before heading into the PRB or the Wind River range, ",[29,468,469],{"href":355},"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.",[21,472,474],{"id":473},"convert-wyoming-plss-descriptions","Convert Wyoming PLSS Descriptions",[14,476,477],{},"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.",[14,479,480],{},"Paste a Wyoming legal description and get GPS coordinates back immediately.",[14,482,483],{},[29,484,485],{"href":355},"Try the Wyoming PLSS Converter",{"title":70,"searchDepth":487,"depth":487,"links":488},2,[489,490,491,492,498,499,500,501,502,503,504],{"id":23,"depth":487,"text":24},{"id":85,"depth":487,"text":86},{"id":104,"depth":487,"text":105},{"id":171,"depth":487,"text":172,"children":493},[494,496,497],{"id":179,"depth":495,"text":180},3,{"id":211,"depth":495,"text":212},{"id":237,"depth":495,"text":238},{"id":252,"depth":487,"text":253},{"id":279,"depth":487,"text":280},{"id":305,"depth":487,"text":306},{"id":336,"depth":487,"text":337},{"id":363,"depth":487,"text":364},{"id":420,"depth":487,"text":421},{"id":473,"depth":487,"text":474},"2026-07-30",{"label":485,"href":355},"How to read and convert Wyoming legal land descriptions using the PLSS. Covers the Sixth Principal Meridian, the Powder River and Wind River Basins, coal and trona permitting, and BLM field office routing.",false,"md",null,[512,513,514,515,516,517,518,519,520],"Wyoming PLSS legal description","Wyoming PLSS","Sixth Principal Meridian Wyoming","Wyoming section township range","Powder River Basin PLSS","Wind River Basin PLSS","WOGCC APD","Wyoming legal land description","Wyoming BLM field office",{},true,"\u002Flearn\u002Fstates\u002Fwyoming",[31,525,262,526],"\u002Flearn\u002Findustries\u002Foil-and-gas","\u002Fhow-to\u002Fread-legal-land-description","states",{"title":5,"description":507},"wyoming","learn\u002Fstates\u002Fwyoming","qguBXjDqW5em1pYrt-9dAd_BVY1vpIGLnAJUhYSMLg4",[533,930,1397,1410],{"id":534,"title":535,"body":536,"converterLink":829,"createdAt":913,"cta":914,"description":915,"draft":508,"extension":509,"icon":510,"industry":510,"keywords":916,"meridian":510,"meta":922,"navigation":522,"path":923,"relatedPages":924,"section":527,"seo":926,"state":927,"stem":928,"updatedAt":913,"__hash__":929},"learn\u002Flearn\u002Fstates\u002Fcalifornia.md","California PLSS Legal Land Description Guide",{"type":7,"value":537,"toc":894},[538,541,544,547,551,559,563,566,569,572,578,580,586,589,593,596,599,602,608,610,616,620,623,626,632,634,640,643,645,657,662,665,667,672,678,681,685,688,692,695,701,704,708,711,715,718,721,727,730,738,742,745,748,754,757,761,764,770,773,776,780,783,788,794,799,805,809,815,819,824,832,836,879,883,886,889],[10,539,535],{"id":540},"california-plss-legal-land-description-guide",[14,542,543],{},"California covers more PLSS-surveyed land than almost any other state, and its survey grid is divided among three separate principal meridians. Oil and gas operators in Kern County, real estate professionals across the state's urban and rural markets, agricultural producers in the Central Valley, and solar energy developers in the Mojave all work with PLSS legal descriptions daily. Getting the meridian wrong shifts your location by hundreds of miles.",[14,545,546],{},"This guide covers how California's PLSS framework works, including the three principal meridians, section numbering, quarter section notation, and how legal descriptions appear across the state's major industries.",[21,548,550],{"id":549},"californias-three-principal-meridians","California's Three Principal Meridians",[14,552,553,554,558],{},"California is surveyed from three origin points. Every legal description in the state must specify which ",[29,555,557],{"href":556},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary\u002Fprincipal-meridian","meridian"," it references, there is no default.",[177,560,562],{"id":561},"mount-diablo-meridian","Mount Diablo Meridian",[14,564,565],{},"The Mount Diablo Meridian covers the largest portion of California, governing surveys from the Oregon border south through the Central Valley to roughly the Tehachapi Mountains. Its initial point sits on the summit of Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County, east of San Francisco. The meridian line runs north-south through the peak, and the base line runs east-west.",[14,567,568],{},"Most of California's agricultural land, Northern California timber country, and the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys fall under the Mount Diablo Meridian. If you work with land anywhere from the Bay Area north to the Oregon border or through the Central Valley, this is the meridian you will encounter most often.",[14,570,571],{},"A typical Mount Diablo Meridian description:",[61,573,576],{"className":574,"code":575,"language":66},[64],"NE\u002F4 SE\u002F4 Section 18, Township 2 South, Range 6 East, Mount Diablo Meridian\n",[68,577,575],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,579,73],{},[61,581,584],{"className":582,"code":583,"language":66},[64],"NESE 18-2S-6E MDM\n",[68,585,583],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,587,588],{},"This describes a 40-acre parcel east of San Jose, measured from the Mount Diablo grid.",[177,590,592],{"id":591},"san-bernardino-meridian","San Bernardino Meridian",[14,594,595],{},"The San Bernardino Meridian governs surveys across Southern California, from roughly the Tehachapi Mountains south to the Mexican border. Its initial point is on San Bernardino Peak in San Bernardino County. This meridian covers Los Angeles County, the Inland Empire, San Diego County, the Mojave Desert, and the Imperial Valley.",[14,597,598],{},"Every PLSS description in Southern California references this meridian. Real estate transactions in LA County, oil leases in the Los Angeles Basin, and solar farm permits in the desert all carry San Bernardino Meridian references.",[14,600,601],{},"A San Bernardino Meridian description:",[61,603,606],{"className":604,"code":605,"language":66},[64],"SW\u002F4 NW\u002F4 Section 25, Township 11 North, Range 14 West, San Bernardino Meridian\n",[68,607,605],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,609,73],{},[61,611,614],{"className":612,"code":613,"language":66},[64],"SWNW 25-11N-14W SBM\n",[68,615,613],{"__ignoreMap":70},[177,617,619],{"id":618},"humboldt-meridian","Humboldt Meridian",[14,621,622],{},"The Humboldt Meridian covers a limited area in the far northwest corner of California, primarily Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Its initial point is near the town of Eureka in Humboldt County. Surveys under this meridian are the least extensive of the three, but if you work with timber land or coastal property in the redwood region, you will see it.",[14,624,625],{},"A Humboldt Meridian description:",[61,627,630],{"className":628,"code":629,"language":66},[64],"SE\u002F4 Section 14, Township 1 North, Range 1 East, Humboldt Meridian\n",[68,631,629],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,633,73],{},[61,635,638],{"className":636,"code":637,"language":66},[64],"SE 14-1N-1E HM\n",[68,639,637],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,641,642],{},"Township and range numbers under the Humboldt Meridian are low because the surveyed area is small relative to the other two meridians.",[21,644,86],{"id":85},[14,646,259,647,651,652,656],{},[29,648,650],{"href":649},"\u002Flearn\u002Fplss\u002Ftownships-and-ranges","township"," in California follows the standard PLSS serpentine section numbering pattern, 36 ",[29,653,655],{"href":654},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary\u002Fsection","sections"," per township, each nominally one square mile (640 acres):",[61,658,660],{"className":659,"code":93,"language":66},[64],[68,661,93],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,663,664],{},"In California's Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges, many sections are fractional due to rugged terrain. Government lots replace standard quarter sections in these irregular areas. Always check the BLM survey plat for the specific township before assuming standard boundaries.",[21,666,105],{"id":104},[14,668,108,669,671],{},[29,670,112],{"href":111}," of 160 acres: NE, NW, SE, and SW. Further subdivision produces quarter-quarter sections of 40 acres, which are the standard unit for mineral leases, agricultural filings, and many real estate transactions.",[61,673,676],{"className":674,"code":675,"language":66},[64],"NE\u002F4 SW\u002F4 Section 30, T29S, R28E, Mount Diablo Meridian\n",[68,677,675],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,679,680],{},"This identifies the Northeast Quarter of the Southwest Quarter, a 40-acre parcel in Kern County. Read from left to right: \"the NE quarter of the SW quarter of Section 30.\"",[21,682,684],{"id":683},"oil-and-gas-in-california","Oil and Gas in California",[14,686,687],{},"California's oil production is concentrated in Kern County and the San Joaquin Valley, with additional activity in the Los Angeles Basin and Ventura County. The California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM, formerly DOGGR) requires PLSS locations on every well permit.",[177,689,691],{"id":690},"kern-county-and-the-san-joaquin-valley","Kern County and the San Joaquin Valley",[14,693,694],{},"The Midway-Sunset, Kern River, and Elk Hills fields are among the largest in the continental United States. Well permits, production reports, and lease descriptions all reference the Mount Diablo Meridian grid:",[61,696,699],{"className":697,"code":698,"language":66},[64],"SE\u002F4 NW\u002F4 Section 30, T29S, R28E, Mount Diablo Meridian, Kern County\n",[68,700,698],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,702,703],{},"CalGEM's well database indexes every active and plugged well by PLSS location. If you are running title on California oil and gas interests, matching lease descriptions to specific quarter-quarter sections is essential. A lease covering \"Section 30, T29S, R28E\" and one covering \"Section 30, T29S, R29E\" are six miles apart.",[177,705,707],{"id":706},"los-angeles-basin","Los Angeles Basin",[14,709,710],{},"Older production in the Los Angeles Basin, Wilmington, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, uses San Bernardino Meridian descriptions. Many of these wells date to the early 1900s, and their original permits reference quarter-quarter sections in dense urban areas that have long since been built over.",[21,712,714],{"id":713},"real-estate","Real Estate",[14,716,717],{},"California's real estate market generates millions of transactions annually, and rural and semi-rural properties rely on PLSS legal descriptions. Title companies, appraisers, and county assessors outside incorporated cities regularly work with section-township-range descriptions.",[14,719,720],{},"In the Central Valley, agricultural parcels are described by quarter section:",[61,722,725],{"className":723,"code":724,"language":66},[64],"N\u002F2 NE\u002F4 Section 5, T12S, R21E, Mount Diablo Meridian, Fresno County\n",[68,726,724],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,728,729],{},"In Southern California's desert communities, large parcels of undeveloped land use San Bernardino Meridian references. Real estate transactions in areas like Lucerne Valley, Apple Valley, and the high desert frequently include PLSS descriptions alongside assessor parcel numbers.",[14,731,732,733,737],{},"County assessor maps in ",[29,734,736],{"href":735},"\u002Flearn\u002Findustries\u002Freal-estate","rural California"," often overlay PLSS grid lines, making it straightforward to cross-reference a legal description with a tax parcel.",[21,739,741],{"id":740},"agriculture","Agriculture",[14,743,744],{},"The Central Valley, stretching from Redding to Bakersfield, is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. USDA Farm Service Agency offices across the valley use PLSS descriptions to identify fields for crop insurance, conservation programs, and disaster payments.",[14,746,747],{},"A crop insurance filing in Tulare County might reference:",[61,749,752],{"className":750,"code":751,"language":66},[64],"SW\u002F4 Section 22, T19S, R27E, Mount Diablo Meridian\n",[68,753,751],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,755,756],{},"This identifies a 160-acre quarter section. FSA field maps tie this description to the Common Land Unit (CLU) and acreage records for the producer. Water districts in the Central Valley also reference PLSS locations when allocating irrigation water and managing groundwater sustainability plans under SGMA.",[21,758,760],{"id":759},"renewable-energy","Renewable Energy",[14,762,763],{},"California's desert regions host some of the largest solar and wind installations in the country. BLM right-of-way permits for solar farms on federal land in the Mojave and Colorado deserts use PLSS descriptions to define project boundaries:",[61,765,768],{"className":766,"code":767,"language":66},[64],"Sections 10, 11, 14, 15, T7N, R11E, San Bernardino Meridian\n",[68,769,767],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,771,772],{},"A utility-scale solar project may span multiple full sections, 2,560 acres or more. Environmental review documents, transmission line easements, and interconnection agreements all reference the specific sections and quarter sections within the project footprint.",[14,774,775],{},"Wind energy projects in the Tehachapi Pass and along the San Gorgonio Pass use similar PLSS-based descriptions for turbine locations and access roads.",[21,777,779],{"id":778},"common-california-legal-description-formats","Common California Legal Description Formats",[14,781,782],{},"California legal descriptions vary by context:",[14,784,785],{},[44,786,787],{},"Full legal (deed):",[61,789,792],{"className":790,"code":791,"language":66},[64],"The Northeast Quarter of the Southeast Quarter (NE\u002F4 SE\u002F4) of Section Eighteen (18),\nTownship Two (2) South, Range Six (6) East of the\nMount Diablo Meridian, County of Santa Clara, State of California\n",[68,793,791],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,795,796],{},[44,797,798],{},"CalGEM well permit:",[61,800,803],{"className":801,"code":802,"language":66},[64],"SE\u002F4 NW\u002F4 Sec. 30, T29S, R28E, MDM\n",[68,804,802],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,806,807],{},[44,808,394],{},[61,810,813],{"className":811,"code":812,"language":66},[64],"T. 2 S., R. 6 E., M.D.M., Sec. 18, NE\u002F4 SE\u002F4\n",[68,814,812],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,816,817],{},[44,818,73],{},[61,820,822],{"className":821,"code":583,"language":66},[64],[68,823,583],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,825,826,827,831],{},"Township America's ",[29,828,830],{"href":829},"\u002Fcalifornia-plss-converter","California PLSS converter"," accepts all common formats across all three meridians.",[21,833,835],{"id":834},"tips-for-working-with-california-plss","Tips for Working with California PLSS",[423,837,838,844,850,861,867,873],{},[41,839,840,843],{},[44,841,842],{},"Always specify the meridian."," California has three, and there is no default assumption. A description missing the meridian is incomplete and could place you in the wrong part of the state.",[41,845,846,849],{},[44,847,848],{},"Know the boundary between Mount Diablo and San Bernardino."," The transition runs roughly along the Tehachapi Mountains. Parcels near this boundary, in northern Kern County or eastern Ventura County, could fall under either meridian. Verify before filing.",[41,851,852,855,856,860],{},[44,853,854],{},"Watch for Spanish and Mexican land grants."," Large areas of California, particularly along the coast, were originally described under Spanish and Mexican ",[29,857,859],{"href":858},"\u002Flearn\u002Fplss\u002Fhow-plss-works","ranchos",", not the PLSS grid. These areas may use metes and bounds descriptions, lot and block references, or hybrid descriptions that reference both the rancho name and nearby PLSS coordinates.",[41,862,863,866],{},[44,864,865],{},"Check for fractional sections in mountainous areas."," The Sierra Nevada, Coast Ranges, and Cascade Range all produce irregular sections with government lots. Standard quarter section math does not apply in these townships.",[41,868,869,872],{},[44,870,871],{},"Understand CalGEM requirements."," If you are working with oil and gas permits, CalGEM indexes wells by PLSS location. Their online well finder accepts section-township-range-meridian queries.",[41,874,875,878],{},[44,876,877],{},"Verify BLM land status in the desert."," Much of the Mojave and Colorado deserts are federal land managed by the BLM. Solar, mining, and recreation permits on federal land require accurate PLSS descriptions. A section number off by one can place you on private land, or in a wilderness area where your project is prohibited.",[21,880,882],{"id":881},"convert-california-plss-descriptions","Convert California PLSS Descriptions",[14,884,885],{},"From Kern County drilling permits to Central Valley crop insurance filings to Mojave Desert solar farm applications, California land work depends on accurate PLSS descriptions across three meridians. Township America covers all California townships and sections across the Mount Diablo, San Bernardino, and Humboldt Meridian grids.",[14,887,888],{},"Paste a California legal description and get latitude and longitude coordinates back immediately.",[14,890,891],{},[29,892,893],{"href":829},"Try the California PLSS Converter",{"title":70,"searchDepth":487,"depth":487,"links":895},[896,901,902,903,907,908,909,910,911,912],{"id":549,"depth":487,"text":550,"children":897},[898,899,900],{"id":561,"depth":495,"text":562},{"id":591,"depth":495,"text":592},{"id":618,"depth":495,"text":619},{"id":85,"depth":487,"text":86},{"id":104,"depth":487,"text":105},{"id":683,"depth":487,"text":684,"children":904},[905,906],{"id":690,"depth":495,"text":691},{"id":706,"depth":495,"text":707},{"id":713,"depth":487,"text":714},{"id":740,"depth":487,"text":741},{"id":759,"depth":487,"text":760},{"id":778,"depth":487,"text":779},{"id":834,"depth":487,"text":835},{"id":881,"depth":487,"text":882},"2026-03-29",{"label":893,"href":829},"How to read and convert California legal land descriptions using the PLSS. Covers the Mount Diablo, San Bernardino, and Humboldt Meridians, plus key industries including oil and gas, real estate, agriculture, and renewable energy.",[917,562,592,619,918,919,920,921],"California PLSS","California legal land description","California section township range","Kern County oil and gas","Central Valley agriculture",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fstates\u002Fcalifornia",[858,111,649,525,735,925,556],"\u002Flearn\u002Fhow-to\u002Fconvert-plss-to-gps",{"title":535,"description":915},"california","learn\u002Fstates\u002Fcalifornia","oftm46vym72OECUzr5t4sjIcEN5lixsOB9UyHXnF86M",{"id":931,"title":932,"body":933,"converterLink":1289,"createdAt":1376,"cta":1377,"description":1378,"draft":508,"extension":509,"icon":510,"industry":510,"keywords":1379,"meridian":510,"meta":1389,"navigation":522,"path":1390,"relatedPages":1391,"section":527,"seo":1392,"state":1393,"stem":1394,"updatedAt":1395,"__hash__":1396},"learn\u002Flearn\u002Fstates\u002Fcolorado.md","Colorado PLSS Legal Land Description Guide",{"type":7,"value":934,"toc":1356},[935,938,941,944,948,951,954,959,962,965,971,973,979,982,986,992,995,998,1004,1006,1012,1015,1019,1022,1025,1031,1033,1039,1042,1044,1047,1052,1055,1058,1060,1065,1083,1086,1092,1095,1099,1102,1106,1109,1112,1118,1121,1124,1128,1131,1137,1140,1144,1147,1150,1156,1159,1162,1165,1173,1177,1180,1183,1190,1192,1200,1203,1209,1212,1215,1219,1222,1225,1228,1234,1237,1241,1244,1248,1254,1259,1265,1269,1275,1279,1285,1291,1295,1341,1345,1348,1351],[10,936,932],{"id":937},"colorado-plss-legal-land-description-guide",[14,939,940],{},"Colorado sits at a geographic crossroads, and its land survey system reflects that. Three different principal meridians divide the state's PLSS grid. Oil and gas operators in the DJ Basin, solar developers on the Front Range, mining companies on the Western Slope, ranchers on the Eastern Plains, and recreation managers across millions of acres of public land all rely on PLSS legal descriptions to identify specific parcels.",[14,942,943],{},"This guide explains how Colorado's PLSS framework works, including the three principal meridians, section numbering, quarter section notation, and how Colorado PLSS legal land descriptions appear across the state's major industries.",[21,945,947],{"id":946},"colorados-three-principal-meridians","Colorado's Three Principal Meridians",[14,949,950],{},"Unlike states covered by a single meridian, Colorado is surveyed from three separate origin points. Knowing which meridian applies to a given parcel is not optional. It is part of the legal description.",[177,952,32],{"id":953},"sixth-principal-meridian",[14,955,27,956,958],{},[29,957,32],{"href":31}," covers the largest portion of Colorado, governing surveys across most of the state's eastern and central regions. The meridian line runs along 97°22' W longitude (passing through central Nebraska and Kansas), with its base line at 40° N latitude.",[14,960,961],{},"Colorado townships referenced to the Sixth Principal Meridian span from the Kansas border west through Denver, up into the mountains, and across much of the Western Slope. If a Colorado legal description does not specify a meridian, it most likely falls under the Sixth Principal Meridian, but you should always verify.",[14,963,964],{},"A typical Sixth Principal Meridian description:",[61,966,969],{"className":967,"code":968,"language":66},[64],"SE\u002F4 NE\u002F4 Section 22, Township 3 South, Range 68 West, 6th Principal Meridian\n",[68,970,968],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,972,73],{},[61,974,977],{"className":975,"code":976,"language":66},[64],"SENE 22-3S-68W 6th PM\n",[68,978,976],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,980,981],{},"This describes a 40-acre tract in Colorado, measured from the 6th Principal Meridian grid.",[177,983,985],{"id":984},"new-mexico-principal-meridian","New Mexico Principal Meridian",[14,987,27,988,991],{},[29,989,985],{"href":990},"\u002Flearn\u002Fmeridians\u002Fnew-mexico-principal-meridian"," governs surveys in a band of southern Colorado counties, roughly from Trinidad north to Walsenburg and west toward the San Luis Valley. Its initial point is in Torrance County, central New Mexico, about 30 miles southeast of Albuquerque, and surveys extend north across the state line into Colorado.",[14,993,994],{},"Counties where you will see New Mexico Principal Meridian descriptions include Las Animas, Huerfano, Costilla, and parts of Conejos and Alamosa counties.",[14,996,997],{},"A New Mexico Principal Meridian description:",[61,999,1002],{"className":1000,"code":1001,"language":66},[64],"SE\u002F4 Section 10, Township 33 South, Range 64 East, New Mexico Principal Meridian\n",[68,1003,1001],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1005,73],{},[61,1007,1010],{"className":1008,"code":1009,"language":66},[64],"SE 10-33S-64E NMPM\n",[68,1011,1009],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1013,1014],{},"Note the high township and range numbers: that is because the origin point is far to the south in central New Mexico. Colorado parcels under this meridian carry large township-south and range-east values.",[177,1016,1018],{"id":1017},"ute-meridian","Ute Meridian",[14,1020,1021],{},"The Ute Meridian covers a small area in southwestern Colorado, primarily within the former Ute Indian Reservation. Its initial point is near the junction of the Uncompahgre and Gunnison rivers. Surveys under the Ute Meridian are limited in extent and mainly appear in Montrose, Ouray, San Miguel, and parts of adjacent counties.",[14,1023,1024],{},"A Ute Meridian description:",[61,1026,1029],{"className":1027,"code":1028,"language":66},[64],"NE\u002F4 SW\u002F4 Section 31, Township 1 South, Range 2 East, Ute Meridian\n",[68,1030,1028],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1032,73],{},[61,1034,1037],{"className":1035,"code":1036,"language":66},[64],"NESW 31-1S-2E UM\n",[68,1038,1036],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1040,1041],{},"The Ute Meridian is the least commonly encountered of the three, but if you work with land in the Uncompahgre Valley or the San Juan mining district, you will see it.",[21,1043,86],{"id":85},[14,1045,1046],{},"Every township in Colorado, regardless of which meridian it falls under, follows the standard PLSS serpentine section numbering:",[61,1048,1050],{"className":1049,"code":93,"language":66},[64],[68,1051,93],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1053,1054],{},"Section 1 is in the northeast corner, numbering runs right to left across the first row, then left to right across the second row, alternating through all six rows. Section 36 sits in the southeast corner.",[14,1056,1057],{},"In mountainous areas of Colorado, sections can be highly irregular due to terrain. Fractional sections and government lots appear frequently along the western half of the state. Always check the BLM survey plat for the specific township before assuming standard section boundaries.",[21,1059,105],{"id":104},[14,1061,108,1062,1064],{},[29,1063,112],{"href":111}," of 160 acres:",[38,1066,1067,1071,1075,1079],{},[41,1068,1069,121],{},[44,1070,120],{},[41,1072,1073,127],{},[44,1074,126],{},[41,1076,1077,133],{},[44,1078,132],{},[41,1080,1081,139],{},[44,1082,138],{},[14,1084,1085],{},"Further subdivision produces quarter-quarter sections of 40 acres. Colorado oil and gas regulations and mineral leases commonly reference quarter-quarter locations:",[61,1087,1090],{"className":1088,"code":1089,"language":66},[64],"SE\u002F4 NE\u002F4 Section 22, T3S, R68W, 6th PM\n",[68,1091,1089],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1093,1094],{},"This identifies the Southeast Quarter of the Northeast Quarter, a specific 40-acre parcel. Read quarter-quarter descriptions from the smallest subdivision outward: \"the SE quarter of the NE quarter of Section 22.\"",[21,1096,1098],{"id":1097},"oil-and-gas-in-colorado","Oil and Gas in Colorado",[14,1100,1101],{},"Colorado's oil and gas activity centers on two major basins, both of which use PLSS descriptions for every regulatory filing.",[177,1103,1105],{"id":1104},"dj-basin-denver-julesburg","DJ Basin (Denver-Julesburg)",[14,1107,1108],{},"The DJ Basin stretches across Weld, Adams, Arapahoe, and surrounding counties in northeastern Colorado. It is one of the most active drilling areas in the United States, with thousands of horizontal wells targeting the Niobrara and Codell formations.",[14,1110,1111],{},"The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) requires every Application for Permit to Drill (APD) to include the PLSS location:",[61,1113,1116],{"className":1114,"code":1115,"language":66},[64],"NW\u002F4 NE\u002F4 Section 5, T4N, R65W, 6th PM, Weld County\n",[68,1117,1115],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1119,1120],{},"COGCC also uses PLSS to define spacing orders, drilling units, and setback requirements. A 1,280-acre drilling unit in the DJ Basin typically spans two full sections. Operators, landmen, and regulators reference the specific sections and quarter sections included in each unit.",[14,1122,1123],{},"If you are running title on DJ Basin mineral interests, you need to match lease descriptions precisely. A lease covering \"Section 5, T4N, R65W\" is different from one covering \"Section 5, T4N, R65E,\" and the second may not even exist in the DJ Basin area.",[177,1125,1127],{"id":1126},"piceance-basin","Piceance Basin",[14,1129,1130],{},"The Piceance Basin on Colorado's Western Slope (Garfield, Rio Blanco, and Mesa counties) contains significant natural gas reserves in the Williams Fork and Iles formations. Drilling permits and well locations in the Piceance reference the Sixth Principal Meridian grid, but with high range-west numbers reflecting the western location:",[61,1132,1135],{"className":1133,"code":1134,"language":66},[64],"SW\u002F4 Section 18, T6S, R95W, 6th PM, Garfield County\n",[68,1136,1134],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1138,1139],{},"Much of the Piceance Basin overlaps federal mineral estate managed by the BLM. Federal APDs include PLSS descriptions and require survey plat verification before approval.",[21,1141,1143],{"id":1142},"renewable-energy-and-solar-development","Renewable Energy and Solar Development",[14,1145,1146],{},"Colorado has become a significant market for utility-scale solar and wind under the BLM's Western Solar Plan, which opened roughly 31 million acres of federal land to renewable energy development. Much of that acreage in Colorado falls across Front Range counties and the southeastern plains, all surveyed under the Sixth Principal Meridian.",[14,1148,1149],{},"Every solar lease, right-of-way application, and interconnection study requires precise PLSS descriptions. A utility developer siting a 500-acre solar array in Pueblo County might be working with:",[61,1151,1154],{"className":1152,"code":1153,"language":66},[64],"N\u002F2 Section 14, T21S, R64W, 6th PM, Pueblo County\n",[68,1155,1153],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1157,1158],{},"That description (the North Half of Section 14) pins the site to a specific 320-acre block on the BLM master title plat. Get it wrong and the lease application fails at BLM review.",[14,1160,1161],{},"Wind development in Prowers and Baca counties on the southeastern plains follows the same requirement. Wind turbine locations are filed with COGCC and the BLM using individual Section and quarter-section descriptions. A wind project spanning multiple townships generates dozens of individual PLSS descriptions, one per turbine pad and access road segment.",[14,1163,1164],{},"Transmission corridor right-of-way applications add another layer. A new 345 kV line crossing state and federal land from the San Luis Valley to the Pikes Peak area might intersect 40 or more townships, each requiring accurate PLSS centerline descriptions for the BLM right-of-way grant.",[14,1166,1167,1168,1172],{},"For a deeper look at how PLSS coordinates affect renewable energy siting, see ",[29,1169,1171],{"href":1170},"\u002Fblog\u002Fblm-solar-wind-leases-plss-coordinates-siting","BLM Solar and Wind Leases: Why Accurate PLSS Coordinates Matter for Siting",".",[21,1174,1176],{"id":1175},"mining","Mining",[14,1178,1179],{},"Colorado's mining history is written in PLSS descriptions. From the Cripple Creek gold district to the Climax molybdenum mine, mining claims and patents reference sections, townships, and ranges.",[14,1181,1182],{},"Active mining operations today (gravel pits on the Front Range, coal mines on the Western Slope, and aggregate quarries across the state) file permits with the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety using PLSS locations. Patented mining claims recorded at county clerk offices also use PLSS legal descriptions, though some older claims in the San Juan Mountains may reference the Ute Meridian rather than the Sixth Principal Meridian.",[14,1184,1185,1186,1189],{},"Understanding which meridian applies prevents confusion when researching historical ",[29,1187,1188],{"href":262},"mining claims"," in southwestern Colorado.",[21,1191,741],{"id":740},[14,1193,1194,1195,1199],{},"Colorado's Eastern Plains produce wheat, corn, sunflowers, and cattle. USDA ",[29,1196,1198],{"href":1197},"\u002Findustries\u002Fagriculture","Farm Service Agency"," offices across the state use PLSS descriptions to identify fields for crop insurance, disaster programs, and conservation easements.",[14,1201,1202],{},"A crop insurance filing in Kit Carson County might reference:",[61,1204,1207],{"className":1205,"code":1206,"language":66},[64],"N\u002F2 Section 15, T9S, R44W, 6th PM\n",[68,1208,1206],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1210,1211],{},"The N\u002F2 notation means the \"North Half\" (the NE and NW quarters combined, totaling 320 acres). FSA field maps tie this description to the specific Common Land Unit (CLU) and acreage records for the producer.",[14,1213,1214],{},"Colorado's water rights system, which operates on the prior appropriation doctrine, also connects to PLSS locations. Points of diversion for irrigation wells and ditch headgates are identified by section, township, and range in water court decrees.",[21,1216,1218],{"id":1217},"recreation-and-public-land","Recreation and Public Land",[14,1220,1221],{},"Colorado contains approximately 24 million acres of federal public land managed by the BLM, U.S. Forest Service, and National Park Service. Hunters, anglers, hikers, and outfitters use PLSS descriptions to identify specific public land parcels, particularly in areas where public and private land are interleaved in a checkerboard pattern.",[14,1223,1224],{},"Hunting and recreation access often hinges on knowing exactly which section is public and which is private. Colorado Parks and Wildlife references PLSS locations in Game Management Unit descriptions and hunting regulations. BLM grazing allotments, timber sales, and recreation permits all use PLSS legal descriptions.",[14,1226,1227],{},"A hunter checking access near Steamboat Springs might look up:",[61,1229,1232],{"className":1230,"code":1231,"language":66},[64],"Section 16, T7N, R85W, 6th PM\n",[68,1233,1231],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1235,1236],{},"Section 16 in every township was historically granted to the state for school funding. In Colorado, most Section 16 parcels are state trust land managed by the State Land Board, open to recreation with a valid access permit.",[21,1238,1240],{"id":1239},"common-colorado-legal-description-formats","Common Colorado Legal Description Formats",[14,1242,1243],{},"Colorado legal descriptions vary by context:",[14,1245,1246],{},[44,1247,787],{},[61,1249,1252],{"className":1250,"code":1251,"language":66},[64],"The Southeast Quarter of the Northeast Quarter (SE\u002F4 NE\u002F4) of Section Twenty-Two (22),\nTownship Three (3) South, Range Sixty-Eight (68) West of the\nSixth Principal Meridian, State of Colorado\n",[68,1253,1251],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1255,1256],{},[44,1257,1258],{},"COGCC regulatory filing:",[61,1260,1263],{"className":1261,"code":1262,"language":66},[64],"SE\u002F4 NE\u002F4 Sec. 22, T3S, R68W, 6th PM\n",[68,1264,1262],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1266,1267],{},[44,1268,394],{},[61,1270,1273],{"className":1271,"code":1272,"language":66},[64],"T. 3 S., R. 68 W., 6th P.M., Sec. 22, SE\u002F4 NE\u002F4\n",[68,1274,1272],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1276,1277],{},[44,1278,73],{},[61,1280,1283],{"className":1281,"code":1282,"language":66},[64],"SENE 22-3S-68W\n",[68,1284,1282],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1286,826,1287,1290],{},[29,1288,356],{"href":1289},"\u002Fcolorado-plss-converter"," accepts all common Colorado formats across all three meridians.",[21,1292,1294],{"id":1293},"tips-for-working-with-colorado-plss","Tips for Working with Colorado PLSS",[423,1296,1297,1303,1309,1315,1321,1329,1335],{},[41,1298,1299,1302],{},[44,1300,1301],{},"Identify the meridian first."," Colorado has three. Most descriptions fall under the Sixth Principal Meridian, but southern and southwestern parcels use the New Mexico Principal Meridian or Ute Meridian. Misidentifying the meridian puts you in the wrong part of the state.",[41,1304,1305,1308],{},[44,1306,1307],{},"Watch the high range numbers."," Colorado ranges under the Sixth Principal Meridian run from the low 40s near Kansas to the low 100s on the Western Slope. Range 67 West is in the Denver metro area; Range 95 West is near Rifle. The range number tells you roughly where east-to-west you are.",[41,1310,1311,1314],{},[44,1312,1313],{},"Check for fractional sections in the mountains."," Colorado's rugged terrain creates irregular sections. Mountain townships may contain government lots instead of standard quarter sections. Consult the BLM survey plat for the specific township.",[41,1316,1317,1320],{},[44,1318,1319],{},"Know the COGCC requirements."," If you are filing drilling permits or reviewing spacing orders, the COGCC expects precise PLSS descriptions. Their GIS system ties directly to the PLSS grid.",[41,1322,1323,1326,1327,1172],{},[44,1324,1325],{},"Verify public land boundaries."," In the checkerboard areas of western Colorado, the difference between Section 15 (private) and Section 16 (state trust land) is the difference between trespassing and legal access. Confirm with latitude\u002Flongitude from a ",[29,1328,356],{"href":1289},[41,1330,1331,1334],{},[44,1332,1333],{},"Understand township irregularities along the Front Range."," Survey corrections and early land grants around Denver create some non-standard township configurations. Historical platting in these areas may not align perfectly with the standard grid.",[41,1336,1337,1340],{},[44,1338,1339],{},"Renewable energy siting requires current BLM plat data."," Solar and wind developers working on federal land must verify that the PLSS description matches the current master title plat, not an older version. BLM land status can change as rights-of-way, mineral leases, and withdrawals are added or released.",[21,1342,1344],{"id":1343},"convert-colorado-plss-descriptions","Convert Colorado PLSS Descriptions",[14,1346,1347],{},"From DJ Basin drilling permits to Front Range solar project right-of-ways to Western Slope mining claims to Eastern Plains crop insurance filings, Colorado land work runs on accurate PLSS descriptions. Township America covers all Colorado townships and sections across the Sixth Principal Meridian, New Mexico Principal Meridian, and Ute Meridian grids.",[14,1349,1350],{},"Paste a Colorado PLSS legal land description and get latitude\u002Flongitude coordinates back immediately.",[14,1352,1353],{},[29,1354,1355],{"href":1289},"Try the Colorado PLSS Converter",{"title":70,"searchDepth":487,"depth":487,"links":1357},[1358,1363,1364,1365,1369,1370,1371,1372,1373,1374,1375],{"id":946,"depth":487,"text":947,"children":1359},[1360,1361,1362],{"id":953,"depth":495,"text":32},{"id":984,"depth":495,"text":985},{"id":1017,"depth":495,"text":1018},{"id":85,"depth":487,"text":86},{"id":104,"depth":487,"text":105},{"id":1097,"depth":487,"text":1098,"children":1366},[1367,1368],{"id":1104,"depth":495,"text":1105},{"id":1126,"depth":495,"text":1127},{"id":1142,"depth":487,"text":1143},{"id":1175,"depth":487,"text":1176},{"id":740,"depth":487,"text":741},{"id":1217,"depth":487,"text":1218},{"id":1239,"depth":487,"text":1240},{"id":1293,"depth":487,"text":1294},{"id":1343,"depth":487,"text":1344},"2026-03-09",{"label":1355,"href":1289},"How to read and convert Colorado PLSS legal land descriptions. Covers the Sixth Principal Meridian, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Ute Meridian, and key industries including oil and gas, renewable energy, mining, and agriculture.",[1380,32,985,1018,1381,1382,1383,1127,1384,1385,1386,1387,1388],"Colorado PLSS legal land description","Colorado legal land description","Colorado section township range","DJ Basin","COGCC","Colorado renewable energy PLSS","Front Range solar PLSS","BLM solar Colorado","Colorado wind energy legal description",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fstates\u002Fcolorado",[31,990,525,262,1197,111,526,1170],{"title":932,"description":1378},"colorado","learn\u002Fstates\u002Fcolorado","2026-04-12","X8CyzGUiTgwiel6dS9orUDqEy-OD1ByBSn6mK0Efre0",{"id":1398,"title":1399,"body":1400,"converterLink":510,"createdAt":1376,"cta":510,"description":1404,"draft":508,"extension":509,"icon":510,"industry":510,"keywords":510,"meridian":510,"meta":1405,"navigation":522,"path":1406,"relatedPages":510,"section":527,"seo":1407,"state":510,"stem":1408,"updatedAt":1376,"__hash__":1409},"learn\u002Flearn\u002Fstates\u002Findex.md","PLSS States",{"type":7,"value":1401,"toc":1402},[],{"title":70,"searchDepth":487,"depth":487,"links":1403},[],"The Public Land Survey System covers 30 US states. Explore state-by-state PLSS guides with principal meridians, format examples, and key industries.",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fstates",{"title":1399,"description":1404},"learn\u002Fstates\u002Findex","9JCbl9ntHO75qXbBoZoe6Nsv_ueDYQqVnpuZOGeX5wc",{"id":1411,"title":1412,"body":1413,"converterLink":1742,"createdAt":1376,"cta":1829,"description":1830,"draft":508,"extension":509,"icon":510,"industry":510,"keywords":1831,"meridian":510,"meta":1840,"navigation":522,"path":1841,"relatedPages":1842,"section":527,"seo":1843,"state":1844,"stem":1845,"updatedAt":1376,"__hash__":1846},"learn\u002Flearn\u002Fstates\u002Fmontana.md","Montana PLSS Legal Land Description Guide",{"type":7,"value":1414,"toc":1813},[1415,1418,1421,1424,1428,1431,1434,1446,1449,1452,1458,1460,1466,1469,1471,1474,1479,1482,1489,1492,1494,1498,1516,1518,1524,1527,1534,1538,1541,1545,1551,1557,1560,1569,1573,1576,1588,1591,1593,1596,1603,1606,1612,1615,1618,1622,1625,1633,1639,1642,1645,1647,1650,1653,1659,1662,1665,1667,1674,1677,1683,1686,1689,1693,1696,1700,1706,1711,1717,1721,1727,1731,1737,1744,1748,1798,1802,1805,1808],[10,1416,1412],{"id":1417},"montana-plss-legal-land-description-guide",[14,1419,1420],{},"Montana is the fourth-largest state by area, covering over 147,000 square miles of plains, mountains, and river valleys. Every acre is surveyed under a single principal meridian, making Montana one of the simpler PLSS states to work with, once you know the system. Oil and gas operators in the Bakken play, mining companies in Butte and the Sweetgrass Hills, timber managers across the national forests, and hunters navigating millions of acres of public land all rely on PLSS legal descriptions to identify specific locations.",[14,1422,1423],{},"This guide covers how Montana's PLSS grid works, including the Montana Principal Meridian, section numbering, quarter section notation, and how legal descriptions function across the state's major industries.",[21,1425,1427],{"id":1426},"the-montana-principal-meridian","The Montana Principal Meridian",[14,1429,1430],{},"The Montana Principal Meridian is the single origin point for all PLSS surveys in the state. Its initial point is located at the junction of the Montana Principal Meridian line (111°39' W longitude) and the Montana Base Line (45°47' N latitude), near the confluence of the Jefferson and Madison rivers southwest of Three Forks in Gallatin County.",[14,1432,1433],{},"From this initial point:",[38,1435,1436,1441],{},[41,1437,1438,1440],{},[44,1439,46],{}," are numbered North or South. Most Montana land lies north of the base line, so you will primarily see township-north designations (e.g., T20N, T35N). A few townships south of the base line exist near the Idaho and Wyoming borders.",[41,1442,1443,1445],{},[44,1444,52],{}," are numbered East or West. The meridian line passes through the southwestern part of the state, so ranges west are found in the mountain regions and ranges east extend across the plains to the North Dakota border.",[14,1447,1448],{},"Because Montana uses a single meridian, you do not need to worry about which meridian applies to a given parcel, it is always the Montana Principal Meridian. Legal descriptions sometimes abbreviate it as \"M.P.M.\" or simply \"Montana Meridian.\"",[14,1450,1451],{},"A typical Montana legal description:",[61,1453,1456],{"className":1454,"code":1455,"language":66},[64],"SWNE Section 22, Township 3 North, Range 7 East, Montana Principal Meridian\n",[68,1457,1455],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1459,73],{},[61,1461,1464],{"className":1462,"code":1463,"language":66},[64],"SWNE 22-3N-7E MPM\n",[68,1465,1463],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1467,1468],{},"This identifies a 40-acre tract, the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 22, in Montana.",[21,1470,86],{"id":85},[14,1472,1473],{},"Montana follows the standard PLSS serpentine section numbering pattern. Each township (approximately 6 miles by 6 miles) is divided into 36 sections, each roughly one square mile or 640 acres:",[61,1475,1477],{"className":1476,"code":93,"language":66},[64],[68,1478,93],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1480,1481],{},"Section 1 sits in the northeast corner, numbering runs right to left across the top row, left to right across the second row, and continues alternating through all six rows. Section 36 is in the southeast corner.",[14,1483,1484,1485,1488],{},"In Montana's mountainous western half, sections are frequently irregular. Steep terrain, rivers, and lakes create fractional sections and government lots. The ",[29,1486,1487],{"href":858},"BLM survey plats"," for these townships show the actual boundaries, which may differ significantly from the ideal square-mile grid.",[14,1490,1491],{},"On the eastern plains, sections tend to be more regular, though correction lines along standard parallels still produce fractional sections on the north and west edges of townships.",[21,1493,105],{"id":104},[14,1495,108,1496,113],{},[29,1497,112],{"href":111},[38,1499,1500,1504,1508,1512],{},[41,1501,1502,121],{},[44,1503,120],{},[41,1505,1506,127],{},[44,1507,126],{},[41,1509,1510,133],{},[44,1511,132],{},[41,1513,1514,139],{},[44,1515,138],{},[14,1517,142],{},[61,1519,1522],{"className":1520,"code":1521,"language":66},[64],"NE\u002F4 NW\u002F4 Section 14, T32N, R21W, MPM\n",[68,1523,1521],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1525,1526],{},"This identifies the Northeast Quarter of the Northwest Quarter, a 40-acre parcel. In Montana, 40-acre quarter-quarter descriptions are common in mineral leases, timber sale boundaries, and hunting access agreements.",[14,1528,1529,1530,1533],{},"For ",[29,1531,1532],{"href":526},"reading quarter-quarter descriptions",", work from the smallest unit outward: \"the NE quarter of the NW quarter of Section 14\" means you start with Section 14, find the NW quarter, then find the NE portion of that quarter.",[21,1535,1537],{"id":1536},"oil-and-gas-in-montana","Oil and Gas in Montana",[14,1539,1540],{},"Montana's oil and gas production centers on the eastern side of the state, where the Bakken and Three Forks formations extend south from North Dakota into Richland, Roosevelt, Sheridan, and Daniels counties.",[177,1542,1544],{"id":1543},"bakken-play-in-eastern-montana","Bakken Play in Eastern Montana",[14,1546,27,1547,1550],{},[29,1548,1549],{"href":525},"Bakken formation"," is thinner and less productive in Montana than in North Dakota's Williston Basin core, but active drilling continues. The Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation (BOGC) regulates drilling and requires PLSS locations on every permit application:",[61,1552,1555],{"className":1553,"code":1554,"language":66},[64],"SE\u002F4 NE\u002F4 Section 30, T28N, R56E, MPM, Richland County\n",[68,1556,1554],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1558,1559],{},"This is a standard Montana drilling permit location in the Bakken fairway, about 20 miles west of Sidney. The high range-east number (R56E) tells you immediately that this parcel is on the eastern edge of the state, far from the meridian line.",[14,1561,1562,1563,1568],{},"Montana also has older producing fields in the Williston Basin (Cedar Creek Anticline) and the Sweetgrass Arch area north of Great Falls. All use PLSS legal descriptions for well locations, spacing units, and unitization agreements. Operators working the Powder River Basin across the state line should note that Wyoming runs on a different grid, the ",[29,1564,1567],{"href":1565,"rel":1566},"https:\u002F\u002Ftownshipamerica.com\u002Fblog\u002Fwyoming-plss-legal-descriptions-powder-river-wind-river",[190],"Wyoming PLSS legal description guide"," covers the 6th Principal Meridian and BLM field office routing.",[177,1570,1572],{"id":1571},"regulatory-filings","Regulatory Filings",[14,1574,1575],{},"The BOGC requires well locations specified to the quarter-quarter section level, plus footage calls from section lines for precise surface and bottomhole locations. A horizontal well drilled in the Bakken might have:",[38,1577,1578,1583],{},[41,1579,1580,1582],{},[44,1581,158],{}," SE\u002F4 NE\u002F4 Section 30, T28N, R56E",[41,1584,1585,1587],{},[44,1586,164],{}," NW\u002F4 NW\u002F4 Section 29, T28N, R56E",[14,1589,1590],{},"Both locations are critical for determining mineral ownership, spacing unit assignments, and royalty calculations.",[21,1592,1176],{"id":1175},[14,1594,1595],{},"Montana's mining heritage runs deep, from the Butte copper mines that powered America's electrification to modern gold, platinum, palladium, and talc operations. Mining claims, both patented and unpatented, use PLSS legal descriptions.",[14,1597,1598,1599,1602],{},"Active ",[29,1600,1601],{"href":262},"mining operations"," file permits with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) using PLSS locations. The Stillwater Mine in Stillwater County (the only US source of platinum and palladium) and various gold operations near Helena and in the Little Rocky Mountains all reference specific sections and quarter sections in their operating permits.",[14,1604,1605],{},"Unpatented mining claims on BLM land are located using PLSS descriptions and filed with both the BLM Montana State Office and the relevant county clerk. A lode claim might cover:",[61,1607,1610],{"className":1608,"code":1609,"language":66},[64],"SW\u002F4 NW\u002F4 and NW\u002F4 SW\u002F4 Section 22, T5N, R12W, MPM\n",[68,1611,1609],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1613,1614],{},"This describes two adjacent 40-acre tracts (80 acres total), a common configuration for a lode mining claim straddling a mineral vein.",[14,1616,1617],{},"Historical mining claims from the 19th century, recorded in county deed books and BLM mineral records, reference PLSS descriptions that remain valid today. Researchers tracing mineral rights or mining history need to read these descriptions accurately.",[21,1619,1621],{"id":1620},"forestry-and-timber","Forestry and Timber",[14,1623,1624],{},"Montana contains major portions of 10 national forests, including the Flathead, Lolo, Helena-Lewis and Clark, Beaverhead-Deerlodge, and Gallatin national forests. The U.S. Forest Service manages timber sales, grazing allotments, and special use permits, all described using PLSS locations.",[14,1626,1627,1628,1632],{},"A ",[29,1629,1631],{"href":1630},"\u002Findustries\u002Fforestry","timber sale"," boundary in the Lolo National Forest might be described as:",[61,1634,1637],{"className":1635,"code":1636,"language":66},[64],"Sections 15, 16, 21, and 22, T14N, R24W, MPM, Mineral County\n",[68,1638,1636],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1640,1641],{},"This identifies four contiguous sections (approximately 2,560 acres) included in the sale area. Individual harvest units within the sale are further delineated by quarter section.",[14,1643,1644],{},"Montana's state timber lands, managed by the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), also use PLSS descriptions. State trust land sections (primarily Sections 16 and 36 in each township, granted to Montana at statehood) are identified by their PLSS location and managed for revenue generation through timber harvest, grazing leases, and mineral development.",[21,1646,337],{"id":336},[14,1648,1649],{},"Montana has over 30 million acres of public land, and hunting is a major part of the state's culture and economy. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) uses PLSS descriptions in hunting district boundaries, block management area descriptions, and public land access information.",[14,1651,1652],{},"For hunters and recreationists, knowing exactly which section is public land versus private land is essential. Montana's Block Management Program provides public access to private land in specific areas described by PLSS locations. A Block Management Area (BMA) entry might list:",[61,1654,1657],{"className":1655,"code":1656,"language":66},[64],"Sections 3, 4, 9, and 10, T18N, R18E, MPM, Fergus County\n",[68,1658,1656],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1660,1661],{},"Hunters checking access near the Missouri River Breaks or the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge need to verify land ownership section by section. A PLSS converter gives you GPS coordinates to load into a mapping app, so you can confirm which sections are accessible before you leave the truck.",[14,1663,1664],{},"Montana's state trust land sections (16 and 36) are open to public recreation, but adjacent sections may be private. The difference between legal access and trespassing can be a single section line.",[21,1666,306],{"id":305},[14,1668,1669,1670,1673],{},"Montana agriculture, wheat, barley, cattle, hay, operates on a PLSS grid. ",[29,1671,1672],{"href":1197},"USDA Farm Service Agency"," offices use section, township, and range to identify fields for crop insurance, disaster assistance, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enrollments, and other farm programs.",[14,1675,1676],{},"A wheat farmer filing a crop insurance claim in Hill County references land as:",[61,1678,1681],{"className":1679,"code":1680,"language":66},[64],"E\u002F2 Section 28, T33N, R14E, MPM\n",[68,1682,1680],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1684,1685],{},"The E\u002F2 notation means the \"East Half\", the NE and SE quarters combined, totaling 320 acres. FSA ties this description to the producer's acreage records and crop history.",[14,1687,1688],{},"Montana's BLM-managed grazing allotments on the eastern plains also use PLSS descriptions. A grazing permit identifies specific sections and partial sections included in the allotment. Ranchers holding BLM grazing leases need to know their allotment boundaries by section to manage livestock movement and comply with permit terms.",[21,1690,1692],{"id":1691},"common-montana-legal-description-formats","Common Montana Legal Description Formats",[14,1694,1695],{},"Montana legal descriptions appear in several standard formats:",[14,1697,1698],{},[44,1699,372],{},[61,1701,1704],{"className":1702,"code":1703,"language":66},[64],"The Southwest Quarter of the Northeast Quarter (SW\u002F4 NE\u002F4) of Section Twenty-Two (22),\nTownship Three (3) North, Range Seven (7) East\nof the Montana Principal Meridian, Montana\n",[68,1705,1703],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1707,1708],{},[44,1709,1710],{},"BOGC regulatory filing:",[61,1712,1715],{"className":1713,"code":1714,"language":66},[64],"SW\u002F4 NE\u002F4 Sec. 22, T3N, R7E, MPM\n",[68,1716,1714],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1718,1719],{},[44,1720,394],{},[61,1722,1725],{"className":1723,"code":1724,"language":66},[64],"T. 3 N., R. 7 E., M.P.M., Sec. 22, SW\u002F4 NE\u002F4\n",[68,1726,1724],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1728,1729],{},[44,1730,405],{},[61,1732,1735],{"className":1733,"code":1734,"language":66},[64],"SWNE 22-3N-7E\n",[68,1736,1734],{"__ignoreMap":70},[14,1738,1739,1740,1743],{},"All four formats describe the same 40-acre parcel in Montana. Township America's ",[29,1741,356],{"href":1742},"\u002Fmontana-plss-converter"," accepts all common Montana formats and returns GPS coordinates for the parcel center.",[21,1745,1747],{"id":1746},"tips-for-working-with-montana-plss","Tips for Working with Montana PLSS",[423,1749,1750,1756,1762,1771,1777,1787],{},[41,1751,1752,1755],{},[44,1753,1754],{},"One meridian keeps things simple."," Every PLSS description in Montana references the Montana Principal Meridian. You will not encounter meridian confusion like in states with multiple meridians.",[41,1757,1758,1761],{},[44,1759,1760],{},"Range numbers tell you east vs. west."," Low range numbers (East or West) are near the meridian line in southwestern Montana. High range-east numbers (R50E and above) mean eastern Montana near the North Dakota border. High range-west numbers (R25W and above) indicate the northwestern part of the state.",[41,1763,1764,1767,1768,1172],{},[44,1765,1766],{},"Watch for irregular sections in the mountains."," Western Montana's rugged terrain creates many fractional sections and government lots. Never assume standard quarter section boundaries in mountain townships, check the ",[29,1769,1770],{"href":858},"BLM survey plat",[41,1772,1773,1776],{},[44,1774,1775],{},"Know the state trust sections."," Sections 16 and 36 in most Montana townships are state trust land, open to recreation but managed by DNRC. If you are checking hunting access, identify these sections on the grid.",[41,1778,1779,1782,1783,1786],{},[44,1780,1781],{},"Verify Bakken well locations carefully."," In eastern Montana's oil fields, a transposed range number moves a well location by 6 miles. On a drilling permit, that can mean the difference between your mineral rights and someone else's. Always ",[29,1784,1785],{"href":1742},"convert to GPS coordinates"," and verify on a map.",[41,1788,1789,1792,1793,1797],{},[44,1790,1791],{},"Use PLSS for public land navigation."," Montana's checkerboard ownership (federal, state, private) makes section-level identification critical for legal access. Convert descriptions to GPS coordinates and overlay on a mapping app before heading into the field. On remote BLM allotments where cell coverage drops, an ",[29,1794,1796],{"href":1795},"\u002Fblog\u002Foffline-plss-lookups-field-guide-no-cell-coverage","offline PLSS lookup"," lets you cache the survey grid before you leave the road.",[21,1799,1801],{"id":1800},"convert-montana-plss-descriptions","Convert Montana PLSS Descriptions",[14,1803,1804],{},"Whether you are filing a BOGC drilling permit, researching a mining claim, reviewing a timber sale boundary, or planning a hunting trip, accurate PLSS conversion prevents errors and saves time. Township America covers all Montana townships and sections under the Montana Principal Meridian.",[14,1806,1807],{},"Paste a Montana legal description and get GPS coordinates back immediately.",[14,1809,1810],{},[29,1811,1812],{"href":1742},"Try the Montana PLSS Converter",{"title":70,"searchDepth":487,"depth":487,"links":1814},[1815,1816,1817,1818,1822,1823,1824,1825,1826,1827,1828],{"id":1426,"depth":487,"text":1427},{"id":85,"depth":487,"text":86},{"id":104,"depth":487,"text":105},{"id":1536,"depth":487,"text":1537,"children":1819},[1820,1821],{"id":1543,"depth":495,"text":1544},{"id":1571,"depth":495,"text":1572},{"id":1175,"depth":487,"text":1176},{"id":1620,"depth":487,"text":1621},{"id":336,"depth":487,"text":337},{"id":305,"depth":487,"text":306},{"id":1691,"depth":487,"text":1692},{"id":1746,"depth":487,"text":1747},{"id":1800,"depth":487,"text":1801},{"label":1812,"href":1742},"How to read and convert Montana legal land descriptions using the PLSS. Covers the Montana Principal Meridian, section numbering, and key industries including oil and gas, mining, forestry, and hunting.",[1832,1833,1834,1835,1836,1837,1838,1839],"Montana PLSS","Montana Principal Meridian","Montana legal land description","Montana section township range","Bakken Montana","Montana mining claims","Montana hunting access","Montana timber sales",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fstates\u002Fmontana",[525,262,1630,111,526],{"title":1412,"description":1830},"montana","learn\u002Fstates\u002Fmontana","h4HdKxmpenmbUMKG-z2U_bP8-khgKzRfCI_eBFVlTeU"]