§752 Boundaries and Contents of Public Lands; How Ascertained

Summary

Explains how to fix the corners, boundary lines, and areas of public land sections, half-sections, and quarter-sections. Corners shown on surveys returned by the Secretary of the Interior or an agency the Secretary picks must be used as the official corners. If a half- or quarter-section corner is not shown, place it as nearly halfway between two corners on the same line. Boundary lines actually run and marked on those surveys must be used and their listed lengths are the true lengths. If a line was not run, draw a straight line from an established corner to its opposite corner; in fractional townships where an opposite corner cannot be fixed, run lines due north-south or east-west from the established corner to the watercourse, Indian boundary line, or other outside boundary. For area, any section or subdivision with an area returned by the Secretary or agency is taken to contain the exact amount listed; if a half- or quarter-section has no returned area, treat it as containing one-half or one-fourth of the returned area of the whole section.