Land Survey Program

Cadastral Mapping Standards

Digital cadastral mapping data standards are presently being developed. Interested individuals are encouraged to participate by attending the next stakeholder meeting to be held in Jefferson City.  There will be no meeting in February.  Tentative date for the next meeting is Thursday, March 8, 2012. Learn more.

Center of Population 2010

Plato gets survey marker and Missouri red granite monument designating it as center of U.S. population -- DNR Director Sara Parker Pauley reads and presents Gov. Jay Nixon’s proclamation.  Learn more.

Supporting Science by Sharing ScienceSlideshow of Geology and Land Survey Photos

Benchmark

The mission of the Land Survey Program is to develop and provide information required for the accurate and economical location of property boundaries in Missouri.  The program is comprised of four sections and are responsible for the following duties.

The Field Surveys Section is responsible for Cadastral and Geodetic Surveys in Missouri.  Cadastral Surveys restore existing and obliterated corners of the United States Public Land Survey System.  Hundreds of corners are restored, thousands perpetuated and documented through in-house projects, contracting and participation in the filing of Certified Land Corner Documents.

Missouri Height Modernization Survey
Gov. Jay Nixon kicks off Height Modernization Survey
Let the surveying begin ...learn more

Geodetic Surveys define and manage a consistent coordinate system based on latitude, longitude and heights throughout Missouri.  The Field Surveys Section is responsible for preservation and augmentation of the horizontal and vertical-control network within the State of Missouri.  Baselines throughout the state validate and verify electronic distance measuring equipment.

The Document Preservation and Distribution Section is responsible for maintaining current documents in the Land Records Repository through contact with all county recorders and county surveyors throughout the State of Missouri.  Requests for documents from land surveyors, other professionals and the public can be distributed in a number of formats from paper to digital.

History

What is the Public Land Survey System?
The United States Public Land Survey System (USPLSS) in Missouri is an extension of the system adopted by the United States Congress in 1785. Between 1816 and 1855, Missouri was surveyed into one mile squares called sections. Thirty-six sections in a block of land measuring six miles on each side is called a township. This created the basis for the transfer of the land from the United States Government to private owners and is the basis for all land transfers and ownership in the state today.

Why are these corners important?
The land corners are the basis for the location of all property in Missouri. Properly monumented, they are a dependable, consistent, accurate source of information for settling property boundary disputes and other boundary related questions. ...more

Sites of Interest

News

American Surveyor Magazine article, A Day at the Fair -- Educating the public at the Missouri State Fair about the work of professional land surveyors.

Darrell Pratte, State Land Surveyor and Land Survey Program DirectorDarrell Pratte Promoted -- State Land Surveyor and Land Survey Program Director

 

Handheld GPS UnitAttention GPS Users -- Read the article, "Getting More from Your Handheld GPS Unit," by department land surveyor, Steven Weible. The article appeared in The American Surveyor magazine.

 

Career Connection--Darrell PratteMissouri Resources Magazine -- Read about a rewarding career with the department as a Professional Land Surveyor.