Colorado land that passed from the federal public domain is described by section, township and range under the Public Land Survey System, mostly from the Sixth Principal Meridian, with the New Mexico Principal Meridian governing the valley of the Rio Grande del Norte and the Ute Meridian a smaller area, so every such description must be read with the meridian it names. Some southern Colorado land traces to land grants made before the Mexican War.
The General Land Office's 1894 Manual of Surveying Instructions, reproduced in the Bureau of Land Management's history of the rectangular survey, says the Sixth Principal Meridian governs the surveys in Colorado except those projected from the New Mexico and Ute meridians. An earlier list in the same history describes the New Mexico meridian as controlling the surveys in the valley of the Rio Grande del Norte in Colorado, and places the Ute meridian's initial point at latitude 39° 06' 40" north, longitude 108° 33' 20" west.
The practical rule is to never drop the meridian. "Township 5 South, Range 65 West" under the Sixth Principal Meridian and the same numbers under another meridian are different places. For reading the numbers, see the township and range guide.
| Meridian | What it governs in Colorado |
|---|---|
| Sixth Principal Meridian | Most of the state |
| New Mexico Principal Meridian | The valley of the Rio Grande del Norte in Colorado |
| Ute Meridian | Surveys projected from its initial point at 39° 06' 40" N, 108° 33' 20" W |
Not all Colorado land came to private owners through the township survey. The Bureau of Land Management's cultural resource overview for its Royal Gorge Field Office notes that records indicate the first land grants in Colorado were along the Conejos River in the San Luis Valley, before the Mexican War changed the land's status. For how Spanish and Mexican grants were confirmed in the Southwest, see New Mexico land surveys.
The Colorado State Land Board, created at statehood in 1876, explains that Colorado received two sections per township, totaling four million acres, to hold in trust for public beneficiaries, mainly the public schools. It still owns 2.8 million acres of trust land and leases its land and mineral estate to earn money for Colorado schools.
For a mineral owner, a tract inside one of those trust sections may have state-owned minerals leased by the Land Board, so the minerals there do not necessarily follow the surface.
Original federal patents and township plats are in the Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office Records, which can be searched by township and range. State trust land records are with the State Land Board.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Have a Colorado title examiner confirm what a specific description covers.
The Public Land Survey System (Township and Range)
Oil & Gas Encyclopedia — all terms
Educational information only — not legal, tax, or investment advice. Consult a qualified attorney, CPA, or landman about your specific situation.
Mostly the Sixth Principal Meridian. The 1894 surveying manual notes exceptions for surveys projected from the New Mexico Principal Meridian, which covers the valley of the Rio Grande del Norte in Colorado, and from the Ute Meridian. Some southern Colorado land traces to land grants made before the Mexican War.
Its initial point is at latitude 39 degrees 06 minutes 40 seconds north and longitude 108 degrees 33 minutes 20 seconds west, according to the 1894 Manual of Surveying Instructions reproduced by the Bureau of Land Management.
The Colorado State Land Board says Colorado received two sections per township, about four million acres, at statehood in 1876 and still owns 2.8 million acres of trust land, which it leases along with its mineral estate to fund schools.
Federal patents are in the Bureau of Land Management General Land Office Records, and state trust land records are with the State Land Board.
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