PLSS Corner Management

Why

Section corners in the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) form the foundation for all descriptions of private property and public land boundaries in Utah. All legal property descriptions start from PLSS section corner markers, also known as monuments. If you've ever seen a legal description of a parcel, a subdivision development, or even a service district or municipality, you may have noticed that the description and map always starts with a reference to a PLSS section corner. Keeping the correct, precise location of these corners accessible greatly reduces boundary discrepancies and disputes.

This web application allows surveyors to create an account to submit monument record sheets electronically. A standard form was created to unify the information collected. The application then notifies the county of the submission and the data is reviewed and subsequently incorporated into the PLSS data.

Data Origination

Licensed land surveyors perform the section corner location and monumentation, typically by setting a brass cap. The surveyor also completes a formal monument record sheet (a.k.a. a 'tie sheet') that is submitted to the appropriate county and state entities that preserve the record. Field notes from the survey may also be part of the required record.

Challenges

Each year hundreds of section corners that are used to determine property locations are in danger of being destroyed from land disturbances like new road projects, property development, and even conservation projects that rehabilitate vegetation after wild land and forest fires.

Urban development is expanding into many areas in Utah that have not been surveyed since the early 1900's. Historically, it has been difficult to quickly identify and protect the section corners that may be impacted, while not slowing down the desired pace of development.