AR Land Surveyor key terms

A physical object placed or accepted on the ground to mark a boundary corner or line. Its location, character, and undisturbed condition control the boundary retracement before any measurement is used.

The legal act of preserving an original corner position by re-marking it, typically with a new monument set at the same location, when the original monument is destroyed or about to be disturbed.

Physical or documentary traces left by the original survey, such as bearing trees, blazes, mounds, stone piles, field notes, and plats, used to reestablish corners as they were originally set.

A tree marked by the original surveyor near a corner, often scribed with the corner number, township, range, and section, used as evidence of the corner's original location.

A monument set at a known offset from a true corner, usually because the corner itself could not be marked, that serves as evidence of the corner's position.

The first public land survey of an area by the federal government, creating townships, sections, and aliquot parts. Its corners and lines, once established, are considered fixed and control later retracements.

A monumented point marking the intersection of section boundaries in the Public Land Survey System, either standard, closing, quarter, or meander type, each with distinct rules for reestablishment.

A Public Land Survey System unit nominally six miles square, containing 36 sections, identified by its position within a base line and principal meridian.

A north-south reference line from which township numbering east and west begins in the Public Land Survey System. Arkansas surveys relate to the Fifth Principal Meridian.

An east-west reference line from which township numbering north and south begins in the Public Land Survey System, intersecting the principal meridian at the initial point.

A corner established at the intersection of a survey line with the bank of a navigable body of water or other meanderable feature, marking where the meander line begins or ends.

A traverse run along the bank of a body of water to determine the approximate area of upland, not a boundary of the conveyed tract unless the water is non-navigable.

A method of reestablishing a lost corner by distributing the record distance between surviving corners in proportion to the original measurements, used only when no evidence of the original corner exists.

A corner whose original position cannot be recovered from physical evidence or reliable testimony, requiring reestablishment by proportionate measurement or other accepted rules.

A corner whose monument is gone or disturbed but whose original position can still be determined from evidence such as bearing trees, accessories, or testimony, so it is not treated as lost.

A doctrine under which a person who openly, notoriously, exclusively, hostilely, and continuously occupies another's land for the statutory period may acquire title, subject to Arkansas statutory requirements.

A boundary line established by the consent of adjoining owners to resolve an uncertain or disputed line, binding on them and their successors when the agreement is executed and the line marked.

A doctrine recognizing a long-standing, mutually accepted boundary line as the true line when adjoining owners have treated it as such for the statutory period, even absent a written agreement.

The rights of an owner of land bordering a watercourse, including reasonable use of water and, for non-navigable streams, ownership to the thread of the stream subject to state law.

The gradual and imperceptible addition of land by natural action of water, such as along a river bank, which generally belongs to the riparian owner without a new conveyance.

A nonpossessory right to use another's land for a specific purpose, such as access or utilities, which may be created by express grant, implication, necessity, or prescription.

A right to use another's land acquired by open, notorious, adverse, and continuous use for the statutory period, distinct from adverse possession because it grants use rather than title.

The chronological sequence of recorded conveyances and encumbrances affecting a parcel, used to trace ownership and identify parties whose interests must be considered in a survey.

A written professional opinion, often by an attorney, analyzing the record of title and identifying ownership, encumbrances, and exceptions that affect a surveyed parcel.

A written instrument that conveys an interest in real property, containing a grantor, grantee, consideration, description, and signature, and recorded to give public notice.

A property description that defines a parcel by courses and distances between monuments and calls, following the boundary around the tract.

The elements of a metes-and-bounds description, including monuments, courses, distances, and area, which are weighed under rules of construction when they conflict.

Established legal principles for resolving conflicts within a deed description, generally ranking natural monuments highest, then artificial monuments, then courses, distances, and area.

Boundary interests arising from conduct rather than written record, such as adverse possession, acquiescence, agreement, or prescription, which a surveyor must investigate and disclose.

An electronic instrument combining an electronic distance meter with a theodolite to measure horizontal and vertical angles and slope distances, used for traversing, stakeout, and data collection.

A series of connected survey lines whose lengths and directions are measured to determine coordinates of points, either closed, closed-loop, or open, and adjusted for misclosure.

The discrepancy between computed and known positions in a closed traverse, expressed as linear and angular error, which indicates measurement quality and must be adjusted.

A statistical method that distributes measurement error across a network by minimizing the sum of squared residuals, producing adjusted coordinates and estimates of precision.

A set of monumented points with known positions and elevations used as a framework for surveys, subdivided into horizontal and vertical networks of varying order and accuracy.

A monumented point of known elevation, often part of a vertical control network, used as a reference for leveling and elevation determination.

A method of determining elevation differences by reading a graduated rod through a leveling instrument from setups between points, accumulating backsight and foresight differences.

A system of projected coordinates defined for each state, including Arkansas zones, designed to provide a common reference for survey positions with minimal distortion.

A reference model defining the size, shape, and position of the earth for coordinates, such as NAD83, which a surveyor must identify when reporting positions.

The North American Datum of 1983, a geocentric reference datum underlying modern horizontal coordinates and Arkansas state plane positions.

A mathematical transformation of positions on the curved earth onto a flat plane, introducing scale distortion that surveyors must account for in coordinate computations.

The ratio between a distance on a projection or map and the corresponding distance on the reference ellipsoid, used to convert between grid and ground distances.

A map of a subdivision or survey showing boundaries, lots, streets, and dedications, which when approved and recorded becomes the legal description of the land.

Local ordinances governing the division of land, setting requirements for plat content, approval procedures, improvements, and dedications before recording.

The intentional transfer of private land to public use, such as streets or parks shown on a plat, which becomes effective upon acceptance by the public authority.

A survey performed to the standards jointly published by the American Land Title Association and NSPS, with optional Table A items, commonly required for commercial real estate transactions.

Land adjacent to a watercourse subject to flooding, often delineated by FEMA maps, which affects survey reporting, elevation certificates, and development requirements.

The degree of care and skill ordinarily exercised by competent surveyors under similar circumstances, which defines negligence and professional responsibility.

The principles governing a surveyor's conduct, including competence, honesty, confidentiality, avoidance of conflicts of interest, and duties to the public and clients.

A situation in which a surveyor's personal, financial, or other interest could improperly influence professional judgment, requiring disclosure or withdrawal from the engagement.

Professional liability insurance covering claims arising from negligent acts, errors, or omissions in the performance of surveying services.

A legal claim against property securing payment for services or debts, such as a surveyor's lien where authorized by Arkansas statute, which may affect title.