Boundary Surveying
Brothers
have killed over it. Wars have been fought over it. Neighbors have fenced it.
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln surveyed it. It has been
stated that over 70% of the World's economy is based on land transactions. The
largest branch in surveying involves the creation, delineation, and retracement
of land boundaries and is called boundary, land, or cadastral surveying.
The oldest types of surveys in recorded history are boundary surveys. Records of
these surveys date
back to about 1400 B.C. Surveyors during ancient Egyptian times laid-off parcels
each spring along the fertile Nile River region after flood waters receded and
aligned the pyramids so that their edges were aligned in the cardinal directions
of north-south and east-west. George Washington spent a portion of his life
subdividing and monumenting lands in the District of Columbia.
As property values increase, the importance of more accurate
surveys, monumentation, and written records has also increased. Boundary
surveying requires knowledge in both the mathematics
of surveying and the land laws. Surveyors are hired by land owners to
physically delineate a boundary of their property, and subdivide larger tracts
of land into individual parcels for sale. The legal system asks surveyors to
become expert witness during a case involving a land dispute.
Subdivision of a parcel of land.
In some western states and in Alaska, original land surveys are still being
performed. These surveys are based on the Public Land Survey System (PLSS). The
PLSS was
originally proposed by President Thomas Jefferson. This rectangular system
subdivides lands into grids of nearly 1 mile square. Because the earth is
spherical, north-south lines converge as a survey proceeds to the poles, or goes
east-west. Corrections must occur in both directions to maintain the rectangular
nature of the system.
Modern land surveyors are confronted with a multitude of problems created
over the past two centuries under different technology and legal systems that
require professional solutions. In establishing new property lines, and in
retracing older ones, surveyors must exercise astute judgment based on education,
practical experience, and knowledge of land laws.
To become a licensed land surveyor,
an individual must pass a "minimum standards" exam known as the Fundamentals
in Land Surveying. This exam is generally accompanied with a period of
apprenticeship under a licensed surveyor. After successful completion of this
apprenticeship, the individual must pass a second exam known as the
Principles of Practice. After passing this exam, the individual becomes a
licensed land surveyor. Since boundary laws vary from state to state, you should
check the web for the regulations in your state. Many states require some form
of education before the individual can apply for examination. A university education in surveying
will provide you with the knowledge you need to start a successful career in
boundary surveying.
Notable facts:
-
Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham
Lincoln were all land surveyors.
-
Beside writing Walden and Civil Disobedience, Henry David
Thoreau (1817 - 1862) was an accomplished surveyor working in the area of
Concord, MA.
-
Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon surveyed the border between
Maryland and Pennsylvania 1763 and 1767 to settle a land dispute between the
Calvert and Penn families.
-
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark lead a scientific and
surveying expedition to the Pacific Coast with the intent of finding a route to
the Pacific. This expedition directly lead to the Louisiana Purchase thereby
nearly doubling the size of the United States.
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