Page 97 - Calculating Agriculture Cover 20191124 STUDENT - A

CH 9] Calculating Agriculture 9-7

Refer to the Figure 9.8, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF LAND
MANAGEMENT LAND DESCRIPTION DIAGRAM on Page 9-6 to answer these following
Examples.

Example 1: How many square miles are in a township?

Solution: The township is 6 miles by 6 miles, thus it is 36 square miles.

Example 2: How many sections are in a township?

Solution: 36 sections are in a township.

Example 3: How many acres are in (1) a section and (2) in a quarter of a section?

Solution: (1) 640 acres
(2) 640 acres x 0.25 = 160 acres in 1/4 section

Example 4: How many acres are in a township

Solution: 36 sections x 640 acres/section = 23,040 acres

The legal land description of a section includes the Section Number, Township and Range with
direction, State, and Principle meridian name.

Example 1: What is Section 1, Township 4N, Range 61W, 6th Principal Meridian, Colorado?

Solution: There are 36 sections in a Township. Section 1 identifies an aliquot part (individual
parcel smaller than a Township) the same convention is used along with the designated
portion of the section. Note: To determine a property description begin with the end of
the description (Principal Meridian) and proceed from there to the first of the
description.

1
Example 2: What does this property description SE / 4 Section 23, T11N, R60W, 6th PM, Colorado
represent?

Solution: This identifies a parcel of land in the Southeast Quarter of Section 23, Township 11N,
Range 60W, 6th Principal Meridian, in the state of Colorado.

Example 3. Given the following land description: SE ¼ of NW ¼ of Section 10. (a) Where to begin
with the analysis, (b) how many acres are in the description?

Solution: In determining the acreage, it begins with locating Section 10 in the description. Then
divide the section by the fractional amounts stated locating per the directions stated,
NW, SE.
(a) NW ¼ of Section 10 which is 160 acres. (b) 40 acres.

9

INSTRUCTOR Copyrighted Material