The Land Survey Information System or LSIS is the official government Web site for the distribution of the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) of the United States. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cadastral survey program is responsible for the official boundary surveys for all federal agencies in the U.S. that together manage over 700 million acres. The Public Land Survey System also called the Rectangular Survey System is the foundation for many survey-based land information systems.
GeoCommunicator provides a centralized site for downloading PLSS data (in NAD 83) in shape file format that can be used with GIS applications. The PLSS data shown in the image to the right is Geographic Coordinate Data Base (GCDB) data collected by BLM and the USDA Forest Service. The GCDB data is computed from BLM survey records (official plats and field notes), local survey records, and geodetic control information. For information on GCDB processes, offices, and standards go to the GCDB National Home Page. Please refer to the metadata for detailed information about the survey data. The PLSS data is a useful representation of the geometry and topology of parcels contained within the PLSS. Check What's New for the latest updates. |
|
The U.S. map to the right shows where we have PLSS data for downloading. The orange color indicates BLM GCDB data. The blue indicates data acquired from other data providers such as the USDA Forest Service and Risk Management Agency, and local and regional sources. The BLM GCDB data is higher quality PLSS data and includes section subdivisions in the LADESC layer. The Alternate Source data is generally at the section level. The white areas indicate where we do not have survey-based data. Data from non-BLM sources have not been verified and the BLM makes no judgment as to the quality and accuracy of the non-BLM data. This data is intended for mapping purposes only and is not a substitute for a legal land survey. |
Download Availability- Alaska data is also available |
How to Download the Data:
Download PLSS GIS shapefiles. To select and download data, select the Map Viewer button. Once on the download site use the State Tab or County Tab on the right side of the viewer (next to the words << Download) to select and download data for an entire state or county. To download just one or a few townships use the Township Selection Tool. The Selection tool is much slower for downloading and should be used when downloading only a few townships. Use the Quick Start Guide or Viewer Help on the download site for more information on getting started.
You must allow pop-ups and scripting to download data. Put www.geocommunicator.gov and www.blm.gov in the list of allowable sites in setting your pop-ups.
For searching for land/mineral records or using the township and range as a search tool use the Land & Mineral Use Records Map Viewer.
The PLSS data is also available as a map service for use in GIS applications. The map service allows you to stream the data live to your desktop GIS.
Map Server URL: http://www.geocommunicator.gov/
Map Service: BLM_MAP_PLSS
File Types
The Shapefiles are for use with GIS software such as ArcInfo, ArcView, ArcExplorer (download for free) or other GIS software. Shapefiles come with the following data:
- Townships
- Sections
- Subdivisions of Section
- Horizontal Control Information
(Latitude and Longitude) - Metadata
Original GCDB flat files are ASCII files that must be reformatted to be used with GIS software. The flat files are currently not available for downloading. If you need the flat files use the contact us to request them.
Data Sources
The PLSS data is coming from the National Integrated Land System (NILS). The current PLSS data are in NAD83 datum. The PLSS shapefiles available before May of 2004 were in NAD27 datum.
In order to extend the national land grid to include the entire United States, PLSS data from alternate source data are added over time as the data becomes available. Alternate source data may overlap with BLM data. When this occurs, BLM data is the best source of information. Data from the U.S. Forest Service Automated Lands Project (ALP) is also being served. Data from non-BLM sources have not been verified and the BLM makes no judgment as to the quality and accuracy of the non-BLM data.
Not all of the U.S. has coverage at this time. This Web site is frequently being updated with the latest data available. Please review What's New for the latest information.
GCDB ArcInfo coverages are available on request by clicking on the Contact Us link.