When working with the U.S. Public Land Survey system, there is the concept of the weighted mean bearing to be used in fractional sections to compute the mid-lines, i.e. the same as the ¼ section lines, when there is no opposite quarter corner to connect to or when it would be an unreasonable line to run due to the distortion of the section because it is fractional (for whatever reason). Many seeking to get licensed in some of the USPLS states have asked how to do this. This concept is also covered in the CFedS study materials and exams. This concept can also be creatively used in some non-USPLS situations. In this course, we follow the methodology presented in Dennis Mouland’s Public Lands Retracement in the 21st Century book. We cover the concept of a vector sum and relate it back to what we know: latitudes and departures. Two examples are worked out, one of them approximating (but not duplicating) a question on a licensing exam. The material thus far is covered in the free course with the same title, but here, we then moved on to the advanced topic of solving the problem, if, as in a survey, we have the coordinates of the known section and ¼ section corners and the ends of the stubbed-out section lines. The second example from the previous section is reworked where the given data are coordinates, showing that using this method actually helps the learner to arrive at the solution faster. Running time 25 minutes.
You will learn…
- Why the weighted mean bearing solution is important when working in fractional sections of the USPLS
- How to determine when to use this solution
- The concepts used to compute the mean weighted bearing using distances and bearings of the stubbed-out section lines
- The concepts used to compute the mean weighted bearing using coordinates of the section corners and the end points of the stubbed-out lines
