I85PREP
⌘ K
CO Land Surveyor study materials
CO Land Surveyor study resources

CO Land Surveyor practice questions

One question at a time. Build your CO Land Surveyor understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Boundary Surveying and Retracement

Under the common-law rule applied in most Colorado retracement surveys, a boundary line originally established by a government surveyor is controlled primarily by which evidence?

  1. The bearing and distance stated in the field notes
  2. The original monument as placed by the surveyor Correct answer.
  3. The most recent recorded survey plat
  4. The area stated in the patent

Explanation

Retracement follows the principle that original monuments placed by the government surveyor control over courses, distances, and area recited in the field notes, because the monument is the physical act of the surveyor. Distances and bearings yield to the monument when the two conflict. Area is the weakest of the calls and never controls.

Question 2Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A Colorado surveyor finds a stone marked with the original government surveyor's marks at a section corner. Which classification best describes this evidence?

  1. A reference monument
  2. An original monument Correct answer.
  3. A perpetuation monument
  4. A witness corner

Explanation

An original monument is the object placed by the original surveyor at the corner itself, carrying his marks or otherwise identifiable. Perpetuation and reference monuments are set later by others to preserve or point to the corner. A witness corner is set when the true corner cannot be occupied.

Question 3Boundary Surveying and Retracement

In Colorado, the doctrine of adverse possession of a boundary strip generally requires that the claimant's possession be:

  1. Recorded in the county clerk's office before the statutory period runs
  2. Continuous for the statutory period but need not be visible to the neighbor
  3. Approved by the adjoining landowner in a written boundary agreement
  4. Actual, adverse, open, notorious, exclusive, and continuous for the statutory period Correct answer.

Explanation

Adverse possession requires possession that is actual, adverse and under claim of right, open and notorious, exclusive, and continuous for the statutory period. Recording is not an element, and secrecy defeats the open-and-notorious requirement. A written agreement describes boundary by agreement, a separate doctrine.

Question 4Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A deed describes a parcel as beginning at a stated point and running thence north 100 feet, thence east 200 feet, thence south 100 feet, thence west 200 feet to the point of beginning. What is the area of the parcel?

  1. 40,000 square feet
  2. 20,000 square feet Correct answer.
  3. 10,000 square feet
  4. 200 square feet

Explanation

The described figure is a rectangle 200 feet by 100 feet, so the area is 200 times 100, or 20,000 square feet. Multiplying the two dimensions is the correct approach for a right-angled rectangle. The other values result from halving, doubling, or misreading the dimensions.

Question 5Boundary Surveying and Retracement

When a deed call for a distance conflicts with a call for an artificial monument such as a set iron pin, the general rule of construction is that:

  1. The call for adjoiner controls over both
  2. The distance controls over the monument
  3. The monument controls over the distance Correct answer.
  4. The area controls over both

Explanation

Monuments, whether natural or artificial, rank higher than courses and distances in the hierarchy of deed calls. A called-for iron pin, if identified as the intended monument, fixes the corner regardless of the recited distance. Area ranks below distance and never controls.

Question 6Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A Colorado surveyor is retracing a subdivision lot and finds that the plat shows a 50-foot frontage but the monumented frontage measures 50.4 feet. Which measurement should generally govern the lot line?

  1. The plat distance, because recorded plats are conclusive
  2. The measurement that yields the recorded lot area
  3. The monumented position, because monuments control over plat distances Correct answer.
  4. The average of the two values

Explanation

When a subdivision plat monument and the recorded distance disagree, the monument set at the original platting controls the corner position. The recorded distance is evidence of intent but yields to the physical monument. Averaging or forcing area is not a recognized retracement rule.

Question 7Boundary Surveying and Retracement

The term 'point of beginning' in a metes-and-bounds description serves which function?

  1. It marks the highest elevation on the parcel
  2. It anchors the description to a physical location from which the traverse closes Correct answer.
  3. It identifies the mathematical center of the parcel
  4. It designates the corner nearest a public road

Explanation

The point of beginning is a monumented physical location from which the boundary traverse starts and to which it must return to close. It gives the description a definite positional anchor. It has no inherent relation to the parcel center, elevation, or road access.

Question 8Boundary Surveying and Retracement

Which of the following is the best example of a natural monument in a Colorado boundary description?

  1. A river bank Correct answer.
  2. A stone with a chiseled cross
  3. A set aluminum cap
  4. A fence post

Explanation

A natural monument is a feature of the landscape existing in nature, such as a river bank, tree, or rock outcrop. Artificial monuments are objects placed by people, including caps, marked stones, and posts. The distinction matters because natural monuments generally rank highest in the hierarchy of calls.

Question 9Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A Colorado surveyor is retracing a section line and finds that the original quarter-corner monument is missing but two bearing trees marked by the original surveyor survive. What is the proper procedure?

  1. Set the corner at the proportionate distance between the section corners
  2. Use the bearing trees to reestablish the corner by intersecting the recorded bearings Correct answer.
  3. Set the corner at the midpoint of the section line by measurement
  4. Declare the corner lost and refuse to survey

Explanation

Surviving bearing trees are original accessories that point to the corner; their recorded bearings are intersected to reestablish the corner position. Proportionate measurement is used only when no original evidence remains. The midpoint by measurement is a form of proportion and is subordinate to accessory evidence.

Question 10Boundary Surveying and Retracement

When a section corner is truly lost and no original evidence survives, the standard method for reestablishing it is:

  1. Setting the corner at the recorded plat distance from the nearest corner
  2. Single proportionate measurement between the nearest original corners on the line Correct answer.
  3. Double proportionate measurement from all four surrounding section corners
  4. Setting the corner at the geographic center of the section

Explanation

A lost corner on a line is reestablished by single proportionate measurement, distributing the record distance between the nearest original corners on that line. Double proportionate measurement applies to a lost interior section corner, where two lines must be balanced. Record distance alone ignores the actual positions of the controlling original corners.

Question 11Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A Colorado deed conveys land 'to the centerline of the Arkansas River.' Under the general rule for non-navigable streams, the grantee typically acquires:

  1. Title to the entire bed to the far bank regardless of the call
  2. Title only to the ordinary high water mark, with the bed remaining in the grantor
  3. Title to the thread of the stream, subject to the state's public trust interests where applicable Correct answer.
  4. No interest in the bed because the call is void for vagueness

Explanation

A call to a non-navigable stream generally carries title to the thread, or centerline, of the stream. Where the water is navigable, the state may hold the bed in trust and the boundary is the ordinary high water mark. The call is not void, and it does not automatically extend to the far bank.

Question 12Boundary Surveying and Retracement

In Colorado, a boundary by acquiescence may be established when adjoining landowners:

  1. Pay taxes on the disputed strip for one year
  2. Obtain a court order quieting title before the period runs
  3. Treat a fence or other line as the boundary for the statutory period without objection Correct answer.
  4. Execute and record a quitclaim deed to the disputed strip

Explanation

Boundary by acquiescence rests on the conduct of adjoining owners who mutually recognize and treat a line as the boundary for the statutory period. It does not require a deed, a quiet title action, or tax payment. The doctrine differs from adverse possession in its emphasis on mutual recognition.

Question 13Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A surveyor retracing a parcel finds a discrepancy between the record distance of 660 feet and a measured distance of 658.5 feet between two found original monuments. What is the appropriate treatment of the measured distance?

  1. Split the difference and use 659.25 feet
  2. Adjust the measurement to 660 feet to match the record
  3. Reject both monuments as unreliable
  4. Accept the measured distance as controlling because the monuments are original Correct answer.

Explanation

Original monuments control over record distances, so the measured distance between them governs the retracement. Record distances are used to check for blunders and to guide proportion, not to override found original corners. Splitting the difference or rejecting the monuments is not consistent with monument control.

Question 14Boundary Surveying and Retracement

Which of the following best describes the purpose of a certificate of survey in Colorado?

  1. To guarantee the accuracy of the survey against all future claims
  2. To convey title to the surveyed parcel
  3. To depict the results of a survey and identify the basis of the boundary determination Correct answer.
  4. To serve as a legal description replacing the deed

Explanation

A certificate of survey records and depicts the results of the survey, including monuments found or set and the basis of boundary determination. It is not a conveyance, does not replace the deed as a description, and carries no absolute guarantee. Its value is as a professional record of the survey.

Question 15Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A deed calls for a boundary 'to a large cottonwood tree, thence to a stone marked X.' The cottonwood has been removed and no stump remains, but the marked stone is found. How should the surveyor treat the missing tree?

  1. As a lost natural monument to be located by the best available evidence, with the marked stone controlling where found Correct answer.
  2. As irrelevant because the tree no longer exists
  3. As replaced automatically by the nearest fence corner
  4. As controlling over the marked stone because natural monuments always outrank artificial ones

Explanation

A missing natural monument is treated as lost and is located by the best available evidence, including the remaining calls and any testimony. The marked stone, if identified as the called-for monument, controls where found. A tree that no longer exists is not simply ignored, and it does not outrank a found monument merely by its former nature.

Question 16Boundary Surveying and Retracement

In the public land survey system, a 'correction line' is established primarily to:

  1. Mark the boundary between two counties
  2. Correct for the convergence of meridians and the accumulation of measurement error Correct answer.
  3. Identify the highest ground in a township
  4. Set the point of beginning for each section

Explanation

Correction lines are standard parallels run to adjust for convergence of meridians and accumulated error in the running of township lines. They are part of the PLSS framework, not county boundaries or terrain features. They do not set points of beginning for sections.

Question 17Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A Colorado surveyor discovers that a fence line has been treated as the boundary by adjoining owners for many years, but the fence does not match the deed line. The surveyor's most appropriate action is to:

  1. Ignore the fence because it is not a monument of record
  2. Certify the fence line as the true deed boundary
  3. Move the fence to the deed line without consulting the owners
  4. Show both the deed line and the fence line and note the discrepancy on the survey Correct answer.

Explanation

The surveyor should depict the record boundary and the occupation line, noting the discrepancy so the owners and their counsel can address any claim of acquiescence or adverse possession. The surveyor does not move fences or adjudicate title. Certifying the fence line as the deed boundary exceeds the surveyor's role.

Question 18Boundary Surveying and Retracement

Which of the following most accurately states the rule of 'boundary by agreement' in Colorado?

  1. An agreement is unenforceable unless a fence is built
  2. An agreement is valid only if approved by the county surveyor
  3. Adjoining owners may fix an uncertain boundary by agreement and the agreed line binds them and their successors Correct answer.
  4. Owners may relocate a certain boundary at will for convenience

Explanation

Where a boundary is uncertain or disputed, adjoining owners may agree on a line to settle the uncertainty, and the agreement binds them and later takers with notice. The doctrine does not let owners relocate a boundary that is already certain. Neither county approval nor fence construction is a required element.

Question 19Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A metes-and-bounds description closes with a call 'to the point of beginning, containing 5.0 acres, more or less.' A computed traverse of the described calls yields 5.4 acres. What is the best interpretation?

  1. The larger area controls because it favors the grantee
  2. The discrepancy voids the description
  3. The 5.0-acre figure controls and the calls must be adjusted
  4. The 'more or less' area is approximate and the traverse calls control the boundary Correct answer.

Explanation

An area recited as 'more or less' is approximate and yields to the courses, distances, and monuments in the description. The traverse calls establish the actual boundary. A discrepancy does not void the description, and no rule selects the larger area to favor the grantee.

Question 20Boundary Surveying and Retracement

In retracing a government lot along a meandered navigable river, the surveyor should generally locate the boundary at:

  1. The ordinary high water mark as it existed at the time of the original survey Correct answer.
  2. The current thread of the river
  3. The low water mark at the date of the retracement
  4. The centerline of the river's floodplain

Explanation

For meandered navigable waters, the boundary is the ordinary high water mark, and in retracement it is located as it existed at the time of the original survey where that can be determined. The thread of the stream applies to non-navigable waters. Current low water or floodplain lines are not the retracement boundary.

Question 21Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A surveyor finds an original government monument that has been disturbed and reset in a new location by a later party. What is the correct approach?

  1. Restore the monument to its original position using the best available evidence of the original location Correct answer.
  2. Accept the reset position as controlling because it is the found monument
  3. Discard the monument and proportion from the nearest corners
  4. Set a new monument at the record distance from the nearest corner

Explanation

A disturbed original monument is restored to its original position using the best available evidence, such as accessories, testimony, and record calls. The reset position of a disturbed monument is not controlling. Discarding the monument or ignoring the surrounding evidence forfeits the best available proof of the original corner.

Question 22Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A Colorado parcel is bounded on the west by a non-navigable stream that has gradually shifted eastward over decades through slow accretion. Under the doctrine of accretion, the boundary generally:

  1. Remains fixed at the original surveyed line
  2. Moves with the stream so the riparian owner gains the gradually added land Correct answer.
  3. Shifts to the thread of the stream as of the original survey
  4. Moves only if the shift is recorded in a new deed

Explanation

Under accretion, a boundary along a non-navigable stream moves gradually with the water, and the riparian owner gains or loses the increment. The shift need not be recorded in a deed. A fixed line applies to avulsion, a sudden change, not to slow accretion.

Question 23Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A surveyor retracing a township finds that the north line of a section measures 5,280 feet between original corners but the record calls for 5,280 feet, while the south line measures 5,260 feet. The section is subdivided into aliquot parts. Which principle governs the location of the center quarter-corner?

  1. The center quarter-corner is set at the record distance from the south corners only
  2. The center quarter-corner is set at exactly half the record distance from each section corner
  3. Proportionate measurement distributes the discrepancy along each line between the controlling original corners Correct answer.
  4. The center quarter-corner is set at the intersection of diagonals of the record plat

Explanation

Where original corners control but the measured distances differ from record, proportionate measurement distributes the difference along the line so each aliquot part shares the discrepancy. Setting the corner at the record distance from one end ignores the actual positions of the controlling corners. Diagonal intersection of the record figure likewise disregards the found monuments.

Question 24Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A deed describes a parcel by both a metes-and-bounds traverse and a reference to a recorded plat, and the two descriptions conflict. Which principle generally guides resolution?

  1. The description with the larger area controls
  2. The conflict voids the deed
  3. Specific calls in the metes-and-bounds description control over general references to a plat Correct answer.
  4. The plat always controls because it is recorded

Explanation

Specific particular descriptions generally control over general references, so the specific metes-and-bounds calls may prevail over a general plat reference. Recording alone does not elevate a general reference over specific calls. A conflict does not void the deed, and area is not the deciding factor.

Question 25Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A Colorado surveyor is asked to retrace a boundary where the only surviving evidence is a single original bearing tree whose recorded bearing and distance point to a corner now occupied by a modern fence intersection. How should the surveyor weigh the evidence?

  1. The bearing tree is original accessory evidence and may control over the modern fence, which is not an original monument Correct answer.
  2. Neither can be used without a recorded plat
  3. The two should be averaged to fix the corner
  4. The fence intersection controls because it is the most recent physical evidence

Explanation

A bearing tree marked by the original surveyor is original accessory evidence that points to the corner and outranks a modern fence, which is merely evidence of occupation. Recency does not give the fence controlling dignity. Averaging evidence of different rank is not a recognized method, and a plat is not a prerequisite to using original evidence.

Question 26Boundary Surveying and Retracement

Under the hierarchy of evidence applied in Colorado boundary retracement, when a deed call for a monument conflicts with a call for a distance, which controls?

  1. The call for area controls over both
  2. The distance call controls over the monument call
  3. The monument call controls over the distance call Correct answer.
  4. The two calls are averaged to fix the corner

Explanation

The established rule of construction gives natural or artificial monuments priority over courses and distances, because monuments are the best evidence of the parties' intent at the time of the conveyance. Distance is resorted to only when the monument is lost or cannot be identified. Area is the weakest call and never overrides a monument.

Question 27Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A Colorado surveyor is retracing a quarter-section corner and finds an original stone that has been set upright but whose position is disputed. Which of the following best describes the proper treatment of that stone?

  1. It is accepted as the corner if it can be identified as the original monument Correct answer.
  2. It is treated as a witness corner only
  3. It is replaced with a new aluminum cap at the record position
  4. It is disregarded because it has been moved

Explanation

An original monument that can be identified as the one set by the government surveyor is accepted as evidence of the corner even if it has been disturbed, because it remains the best available evidence of the original position. A disturbed monument is not automatically void. If its original location can be established from other evidence, the corner is restored to that location.

Question 28Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A deed in Colorado calls for a boundary running 'to the north bank of a non-navigable creek, thence down the creek.' The creek has gradually eroded its north bank westward over many years. Under the general rule, the boundary is:

  1. The original meander line shown on the government plat
  2. The thread of the stream, regardless of the deed call
  3. The current north bank, following the gradual movement of the stream Correct answer.
  4. Fixed at the bank as it existed when the deed was written

Explanation

When a deed calls for a boundary along the bank of a non-navigable stream, the boundary follows the gradual, imperceptible movement of the bank under the doctrine of accretion and erosion. The call to the bank, rather than the thread, fixes the water as the boundary. Sudden avulsion would be treated differently, but gradual erosion shifts the line.

Question 29Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A Colorado surveyor retraces a lot in an original townsite and discovers that the lot corners were never monumented by the original surveyor. The most defensible approach to establishing the lot corners is to:

  1. Hold the record distances from the nearest original section corner and prorate any excess or deficiency Correct answer.
  2. Establish the corners by occupation of the present owners
  3. Use the centerlines of the abutting streets as the controlling lines
  4. Set the corners at the record bearings and distances exactly as written

Explanation

When lot corners were never set by the original surveyor, the surveyor must establish them from the best available original evidence, typically the controlling original corners, and prorate the record dimensions to fit the measured distances between those controlling monuments. Original monuments control, and the record plat dimensions are adjusted proportionally.

Question 30Boundary Surveying and Retracement

In Colorado, the doctrine of boundary by acquiescence requires that adjoining landowners have:

  1. Paid taxes on the disputed strip for the statutory period
  2. Recorded a written agreement fixing the line
  3. Treated a particular line as the boundary for a long period and recognized it as such Correct answer.
  4. Obtained a court decree quieting title

Explanation

Boundary by acquiescence rests on the conduct of adjoining owners who, for a long period, treat a particular line as the true boundary and mutually recognize it as such. It does not require a written agreement or a court decree. Payment of taxes relates to adverse possession, a different doctrine.

Question 31Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A Colorado surveyor is retracing a boundary described by a metes-and-bounds traverse that calls for a bearing and distance to a point, then a call 'to a 12-inch pine marked with three blazes.' The pine is gone, but a stump with the blazes remains. The stump should be:

  1. Disregarded because the tree itself no longer stands
  2. Accepted as evidence of the called-for monument Correct answer.
  3. Treated as a natural monument that overrides the deed
  4. Used only as a witness to the point of beginning

Explanation

A surviving stump bearing the marks described in the deed is evidence of the called-for monument and should be accepted if the marks can be identified as those of the original tree. The loss of the trunk does not destroy the evidentiary value of the marked stump. The surveyor should carefully document the markings and condition.

Question 32Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A surveyor retracing a section line in Colorado finds that the original section corner is missing and no original evidence survives, but the record distance between the two nearest original corners is 5,280 feet while the measured distance is 5,286 feet. The lost corner should be established by:

  1. Establishing the corner at the midpoint of the measured line
  2. Single proportionate measurement from the nearest original corners Correct answer.
  3. Holding 2,640 feet from each end and creating a gap
  4. Setting the corner at the record position of the missing monument

Explanation

When a corner is lost and no original evidence survives, it is reestablished by single proportionate measurement between the nearest original corners, distributing the excess or deficiency of the measured distance in proportion to the record distances. This preserves the original survey's relative positions. Setting a corner at the record position ignores the measured evidence.

Question 33Boundary Surveying and Retracement

In the public land survey system, the 'double proportionate measurement' method is used primarily to reestablish:

  1. A meander corner on a navigable river
  2. A closing corner on a correction line
  3. A standard corner on a township line
  4. A lost interior section corner Correct answer.

Explanation

Double proportionate measurement is the method for reestablishing a lost interior section corner, using the four surrounding original corners and proportioning in both north-south and east-west directions. It accounts for the position of the lost corner relative to all four controlling corners. Standard and closing corners are reestablished by different methods.

Question 34Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A Colorado deed describes a parcel by a metes-and-bounds traverse and also by reference to a recorded plat, and the two descriptions conflict. Which principle generally governs?

  1. The reference to the recorded plat controls as the more certain description
  2. The shorter description controls
  3. The description that best identifies the parcel as a whole controls Correct answer.
  4. The metes-and-bounds traverse controls because it is more specific

Explanation

When a deed contains conflicting descriptions, the controlling principle is that the description which best identifies the parcel as a whole prevails, considered in light of the parties' intent and the surrounding circumstances. Neither a metes-and-bounds traverse nor a plat reference automatically controls. The surveyor must evaluate which description most accurately identifies the land conveyed.

Question 35Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A Colorado surveyor is retracing a boundary where the only surviving evidence is a single original bearing tree with a legible blaze and scribe. The surveyor should:

  1. Accept the bearing tree as the corner itself
  2. Disregard the bearing tree because it is not a corner monument
  3. Replace the bearing tree with a new monument at the record position
  4. Use the bearing tree to establish the corner by intersection with the record bearing and distance Correct answer.

Explanation

A bearing tree is a witness to the corner, not the corner itself. When the corner monument is lost, the bearing tree's bearing and distance from the corner, as recorded in the original field notes, are used to reestablish the corner by intersection with other evidence. The tree should be preserved and documented.

Question 36Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A Colorado parcel is bounded on the west by a non-navigable stream that has suddenly changed course during a flood, leaving the former channel dry. Under the doctrine of avulsion, the boundary is:

  1. The new channel of the stream
  2. The bank of the new channel as it now exists
  3. The thread of the former channel as it existed before the flood Correct answer.
  4. The middle of the dry former channel bed

Explanation

Under the doctrine of avulsion, a sudden and perceptible change in a stream's course does not move the boundary; the boundary remains where the stream ran before the avulsion. Gradual erosion and accretion move the boundary, but avulsion does not. The thread of the former channel therefore controls.

Question 37Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A Colorado surveyor is preparing a boundary survey of a parcel described by aliquot parts of a section. The surveyor should locate the parcel corners primarily from:

  1. The original government corners and the subdivision-of-section lines Correct answer.
  2. The record distances in the deed alone
  3. The nearest fence lines
  4. The assessor's parcel map

Explanation

Aliquot part descriptions depend on the subdivision of the section, which is controlled by the original government corners and the lines run from them. Record distances in the deed are subordinate to the original monuments. Fences and assessor maps are not controlling evidence of the aliquot lines.

Question 38Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A Colorado surveyor discovers that an original section corner monument has been destroyed and replaced by a later surveyor's monument set at a different location. The best evidence of the original corner position is:

  1. The current fence intersection
  2. The original field notes and any surviving accessories such as bearing trees Correct answer.
  3. The later surveyor's monument
  4. The record distance from the nearest township corner

Explanation

When an original monument is destroyed, the surveyor seeks the best available evidence of its original position, which includes the original field notes and any surviving accessories such as bearing trees, pits, or mounds. A later surveyor's monument is not original evidence and may be incorrect. Record distances and fences are subordinate to original evidence.

Question 39Boundary Surveying and Retracement

In Colorado, when a deed calls for a boundary along a meandered navigable river, the boundary of the upland owner generally extends to:

  1. The meander line shown on the government plat
  2. The ordinary high water mark Correct answer.
  3. The thread of the stream
  4. The low water mark

Explanation

For navigable waters, the upland owner's boundary generally extends to the ordinary high water mark, and the state holds title to the bed below that mark. The meander line is not a boundary. The thread of the stream applies to non-navigable streams where the deed calls to the stream.

Question 40Boundary Surveying and Retracement

A Colorado surveyor retracing a boundary finds that the deed calls for a stone monument at a corner, but the stone is missing and the deed also gives a bearing and distance to a nearby road intersection. The surveyor should:

  1. Set the corner at the record bearing and distance from the nearest corner
  2. Establish the corner from the best available evidence and note the missing monument Correct answer.
  3. Set the corner at the road intersection because it is more permanent
  4. Disregard the deed and use occupation lines

Explanation

When a called-for monument is missing, the surveyor must gather the best available evidence to reestablish the corner, which may include record bearing and distance, accessories, and other original evidence. The surveyor should document the missing monument and the basis for the reestablished position. A road intersection is not automatically controlling.

Question 41Cadastral Surveying and Public Land Survey System

Under the Public Land Survey System, what does the term 'protraction' refer to when describing the rectangular survey grid?

  1. The field procedure for setting brass caps on section corners
  2. The recording of a subdivision plat with the county clerk
  3. The legal process of resolving an ambiguous boundary through quiet title action
  4. The preliminary, unverified plotting of township and section lines from the best available data before field survey Correct answer.

Explanation

Protraction is the preliminary extension of the rectangular survey onto maps from existing records and control before actual field monumentation occurs. Protracted lines are not monumented boundaries and carry no boundary evidence until surveyed and accepted.

Question 42Cadastral Surveying and Public Land Survey System

In the PLSS, a standard township is nominally how wide and how tall, measured in miles?

  1. Three miles on each side
  2. One mile on each side
  3. Six miles on each side Correct answer.
  4. Twelve miles on each side

Explanation

A standard congressional township is nominally six miles square, containing 36 sections of one square mile each. The six-mile dimension applies to both the north-south and east-west extent.

Question 43Cadastral Surveying and Public Land Survey System

How many sections are contained in a standard PLSS township, and how are they typically numbered?

  1. 16 sections, numbered clockwise from the southwest corner
  2. 36 sections, numbered beginning at the southeast corner and proceeding north in columns
  3. 24 sections, numbered north to south in each column
  4. 36 sections, numbered beginning at the northeast corner and proceeding west then south in serpentine order Correct answer.

Explanation

A standard township contains 36 sections numbered 1 through 36, starting at the northeast corner (section 1) and running west to section 6, then dropping south and running east, continuing in serpentine fashion to section 36 at the southeast corner.

Question 44Cadastral Surveying and Public Land Survey System

What is the principal meridian in the PLSS?

  1. The meander line along a navigable water body
  2. The east-west reference line from which townships are counted north and south
  3. The line dividing a township into north and south halves
  4. The north-south reference line from which ranges are counted east and west Correct answer.

Explanation

The principal meridian is the north-south governing line from which range lines are measured east and west. The corresponding east-west governing line is the base line, from which townships are counted north and south.

Question 45Cadastral Surveying and Public Land Survey System

Which term describes a fractional township that is smaller than a standard township because it borders a base line, principal meridian, or other limiting boundary?

  1. Normal township
  2. Standard township
  3. Regular township
  4. Fractional township Correct answer.

Explanation

Fractional townships result when the survey grid is closed on a governing boundary or an Indian reservation, national boundary, or water body, leaving less than the full six-mile extent. They contain fractional lots and sections of less than one square mile.

Question 46Cadastral Surveying and Public Land Survey System

In PLSS corner nomenclature, what does the designation 'NE corner of Section 15' identify?

  1. The midpoint of the north boundary of Section 15
  2. The corner common to Sections 10, 11, 14, and 15 Correct answer.
  3. The center of Section 15
  4. The corner common to Sections 15, 16, 21, and 22

Explanation

The northeast corner of a section is the point where four sections meet at the section's northeast extremity. For Section 15, that point is shared with Sections 10, 11, and 14.

Question 47Cadastral Surveying and Public Land Survey System

What is the purpose of a meander line in the PLSS?

  1. To mark the exact legal boundary of the submersible land
  2. To establish the principal meridian direction
  3. To approximate the margin of a body of water so upland acreage can be computed Correct answer.
  4. To set the exterior boundary of a township

Explanation

Meander lines are run along the bank of a navigable water body to approximate its sinuosities so that the area of the fractional upland can be calculated. They are not the legal boundary of the water; the water's edge or ordinary high water mark generally governs.

Question 48Cadastral Surveying and Public Land Survey System

What does the term 'double corner' or 'double monumentation' describe in the context of the PLSS?

  1. A section corner occupied by two different surveyors
  2. Two monumented corners set where a closing line does not close exactly on the previously established corner Correct answer.
  3. A corner set with two brass caps for redundancy
  4. A corner used by two adjoining townships

Explanation

When a closing township line does not intersect the previously established standard corner exactly, surveyors historically set a new corner at the closing position, creating two nearby corners for the same theoretical point. These are double corners, and resolving which controls requires analysis of the original record.

Question 49Cadastral Surveying and Public Land Survey System

A surveyor must reestablish a lost standard corner on a township line where no original bearing trees or accessories remain. Which method is generally preferred under PLSS rules?

  1. Resetting the corner at the record bearing and distance from the principal meridian
  2. Accepting the nearest section corner as controlling
  3. Setting the corner at the intersection of protracted lines
  4. Single proportionate measurement between the nearest existing original corners on the line Correct answer.

Explanation

For a lost corner on a line between two existing original corners, single proportionate measurement distributes the excess or deficiency of the record distance proportionally along the line. This preserves the original corners as controlling and reestablishes the lost position consistently.

Question 50Cadastral Surveying and Public Land Survey System

When reestablishing a lost interior section corner, which procedure is appropriate?

  1. Setting the corner at the center of the four surrounding sections by averaging coordinates
  2. Double proportionate measurement using the four surrounding original corners Correct answer.
  3. Single proportionate measurement along the nearest cardinal line only
  4. Holding the record distance from the nearest township corner

Explanation

A lost interior section corner is reestablished by double proportionate measurement, which proportions positions along both north-south and east-west lines between the four controlling original corners. The intersection of the two proportioned lines fixes the corner.