| How to interpret the GWIC location information | View an Illustration |
Legal subdivision deeds and other documents often contain language that describes a parcel of land. The parcel is described beginning with the smallest quarter of a section and ends with the township and range that the section is in. Thus in a legal document, a 40-acre parcel might be described as follows:
"I am in a parcel of land located in the NW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 15, Township 12 North, Range 27 East."
ABCD System:
To make location descriptions more concise and easier to use within our database
the same legal subdivision location system was modified. The "ABCD"
system tells you "how to find" a point or a parcel of land. The
location description begins with the township and range, followed by the
section. The section is divided into quarters based as follows:
All NE 1/4's = A,
All NW 1/4's = B,
All SW 1/4's = C,
All SE 1/4's = D
The legal subdivision description shown above would be written as:
Township 12 N, Range 27 E, Section 15, AB
The largest quarter section (160-acre tract) is given first, followed by the 40-, 10-, 2.5-acre tracts and so on until a specific point is reached. The "ABCD" description tells you "how to find" parcels or objects map because it consistently narrows down or focuses on the object.