Prairie Grid field guide

PLSS vs DLS: what changes in a legal land description?

A concise comparison of U.S. PLSS and Canadian DLS or ATS descriptions for field workers.

PLSS and DLS both describe land through township-style grids, but their notation and local rules differ. That similarity makes one field tool useful across the border—provided the app does not pretend the systems are interchangeable.

SystemTypical partsPrairie Grid Pro
U.S. PLSSAliquot, section, township, range, principal meridian30 states
Canada DLS / ATSLSD, section, township, range, meridianAB, MB, BC Peace River

What remains the same

Both workflows benefit from pasteable descriptions, individual-field entry, coordinate formats, local history, navigation handoff and clear source disclaimers.

What remains different

Texas uses an Abstract, Block and Survey system rather than federal PLSS. Saskatchewan data also needs separate commercial licensing. Neither should be advertised as covered until its dedicated engine and rights are complete.

Try the field workflow

Three successful lookups are included. Lifetime unlock is one payment with no account or developer server.

View on the App Store