What makes a section fractional?
Have you ever needed to apply weighted mean bearings to subdivide one?
I've only needed to a couple of times, I figure I did it correctly, but sometimes it isn't real clear how to do it.
> What makes a section fractional?
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> Have you ever needed to apply weighted mean bearings to subdivide one?
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> I've only needed to a couple of times, I figure I did it correctly, but sometimes it isn't real clear how to do it.
I think the BLM folks have altered the definition of a fractional section. My definition would only start an argument and then I'd get emails from Keith...
Honestly the only time I've ever applied a weighted mean on a bearing was on the CFed exam. In my opinion there is usually some other scintilla of evidence that can provide a clue as to the location of the retraced line.
I can remember one or two riparian surveys where I've used a mean bearing to run a "wild" cardinal line to its terminus. By the time you get down to field procedures of this nature I'm of the opinion "right or wrong, it's getting done".
Also in cases like that I will always concede to a previous surveyor that had to subdivide something with that process, if I'm following him.
I'm easy to please, I don't care how he did it. The differences are generally small compared to the big picture.
I'll possibly show my ignorance here, but I thought a fractional section was one that contained meandered boundaries. But I've also had people insist that sections 1 through 6 and all the ones along the west edge of a township are always fractional (in every township). Unfortunately, I don't deal with meanders hardly ever, so I'd be interested to hear the wiser folks here weigh in.
FRACTIONAL SECTION - A section, which in its original form, contained one or more subdivisions of less than forty acres due to irregular exterior boundaries, or due to the encroachment of a meandered body of water or other land which could not be properly surveyed or disposed of as an aliquot part of that section.
- GLOSSARY OF BLM SURVEYING AND MAPPING TERMS
There is some confusion about what is a fractional section, in some older PLSS areas the patents were often sold with the description of a closing section as a fractional section, later on this was dropped.
What I understand makes a section fractional is that it can't be divided by connecting monuments set in the survey or even using returns to calculate say a missing 1/4 corner that fell in a river. If you can connect the controlling corners even by calculation using returns then it isn't fractional. The section was invaded by say a lake and controlling corners were not set or tied in some fashion on the plat.
Reading that literally then, those closing sections with more than 40 acre parcels do not meet the definition.
Easy to see where the confusion comes in.
Reading the Manual as a whole you would not treat any Section where the four corners were set as Fractional. That being said you also have to consider the policy of the Region and timing of the first breakdown. Of course this is heresy to many, oh well.
The 'weighted mean' question is the one that caught my eye. It's actually one of the easiest in my book.
I begin by identifying the lines to be considered. that is usually the lines on either side of the one being run. Convert the directions to Grid by applying the convergence. Run a math traverse including all courses. Leaving it in chains is fine as it will all be relative. Inverse from the end point back to the beginning and you have. Weighted mean. Again, heresy to many but it works.
I do feel compelled to note this is usually used in a search or in evaluating evidence. We still hit the ground first at times, but math is best used to help find footsteps...
That's how I was taught, find say the six control corners that form 4 lines, run them end to end like a train and inverse the two ends, and you have a weighted mean.;-)
A section where one or more quarter corners can not be held fixed.
That was how it was explained to me. The term "fixed" was where the confusion would lay.
