Survey Manual Public Land Surveys March 30, 2012
Revisions March 30, 2012 revisions: Rearranged information and added a preamble indicating this document applies to amending existing public land surveys. Added a Surveys section in the preamble indicating the blue book must be used to calculate section and quarter section corners in un-surveyed territory. Added an Amendment section in the preamble indicating that generally, dispositions that are required to be surveyed at the final plan stage, can only be amended with a survey. Added a note in the Amendment section indicating amendments to well sites or their associated access roads will have to be surveyed, in situations where the original survey is more than two years old (Part D, Section 5.11 of the Manual of Standard Practice). Removed web links and noted that all documents can be found at srd.alberta.ca by searching for the specific document title. Added a Plan Types section in the preamble including reference to GPS location plans. Added a Multi-Page Plans section in the preamble identifying the limitations with respect to multipage and multi-line plans. Added sections in the preamble for Digital Plan Submission Standards and Procedures; Geo- Referencing Digital Plan Submissions; Surveyor s Affidavit; and Dual Registration of Public Land Surveys. Expanded the requirements for access roads that are under Mineral Surface Lease (MSL), to include Surface Material Lease (SML), Miscellaneous Lease (MLL), Recreation Lease (REC), and Pipeline Installation Lease (PIL). Added Disposition Reservations (DRS), Easements (EZE), Miscellaneous Lease (MLL), Recreation Lease (REC) and Pipeline Installation (PIL) amendment requirements. June 10, 2010 revisions: References to the MSP (Manual of Standard Practice) were updated to reflect re-numbering of sections. March 30, 2012 Survey Manual PL Surveys Page 2 of 6
Preamble This document represents the department s survey requirements for amending existing public land surveys. For survey and disposition plan requirements for new applications, clients should refer to the Disposition Plan Types/Formats document. All documents referenced in this document can be found at srd.alberta.ca by searching for the specific document title. Surveys All public land surveys in un-surveyed territory must follow Part D, Section 5.2 of the Manual of Standard Practice (MSP), Alberta Land Surveyors Association, and determine the positions of theoretical section and quarter section corners using the Supplement to the Manual of Instructions for the Survey of Canada Lands (blue book). ATS (Alberta Township System) coordinates can not be used. This requirement ensures consistency with oil and gas dispositions. Plan Types Effective and efficient management of public land is in part accomplished by having land surveys represent the location of constructed activities. For linear activities like Pipeline Agreements (PLA) or LOC access roads, authority to construct may be granted based on a sketch plan, with the condition that a final plan will be submitted 90 days after construction has been completed. For other activities like Surface Material Leases (SML) or Recreation Leases (REC), application can be made with a sketch plan, but an authorized plan or final plan, surveyed prior to construction, is required before authorization is granted. For details on the plan type required for different disposition types, refer to the Disposition Plan Types/Format document. Survey plans A survey plan is a field survey performed by an Alberta Land Surveyor for the purpose of monumenting the limits/boundaries of a right or interest in public land. Copied survey information is not accepted on survey plans. For detailed survey plan requirements refer to the Content Requirements for Disposition Plans of Survey and LiDAR Plans of Survey document. Sketch plans A sketch plan is a sketch depicting the limits/boundaries of a proposed right and interest in public land. For detailed sketch plan requirements refer to the Content Requirements for Disposition Sketch Plans document. GPS location plans A GPS location plan is a plan that uses GPS field collected data to represent the location of a proposed or constructed public land disposition. For detailed GPS Location Plan requirements refer to the Content Requirements for Disposition GPS Location Plans document. Amendments Generally, dispositions that are required to be surveyed at the final plan stage, can only be amended with a survey. For example, if an existing MLL disposition was authorized using a sketch plan, only a survey plan can be used to amend that MLL, which is often the case at renewal. In order to comply with Part D, Section 5.11 of the Manual of Standard Practice (MSP), amendments to well sites or their associated access roads will have to be surveyed, in situations where the original survey is more than two years old. March 30, 2012 Survey Manual PL Surveys Page 3 of 6
Digital Plan Submission Standards and Procedures The Disposition Plan Types/Formats document indicates when disposition plans must be submitted in digital format. For detailed requirements on submitting digital plans and digital plan standards, refer to the Digital Plan Submission Standards and Procedures document. Multi-Page Plans In general, multi-page plans are only accepted for well sites and their associated access roads. Multi-page LOC access road plans, which are not shown on a well site plan, will not be accepted. Multi-page plans or multiple lines on one page will not be accepted for pipelines and all other linear dispositions. A grand fathering period, ending on April 30, 2012, applies for all plans accept pipeline plans. Geo-Referencing Digital Plan Submissions Plans submitted to Sustainable Resource Development must be geo-referenced in accordance with the March 31, 2011 standards. For details refer to the following documents. Geo-referencing Digital Plan Submissions Geo-referencing Digital Plan Submissions FAQ Geo-referencing Sample Plan Surveyor s Affidavit The March 1, 2011 Director of Surveys Policy Surveys Act (Surveyor s Affidavit) applies to public land surveys submitted to Sustainable Resource Development. For details refer to the Director of Surveys Policy Surveys Act (Surveyor s Affidavit) document. Dual Registration of Public Land Surveys The August 1, 2009 Dual Registration of Public Land Surveys policy applies to public land surveys marked with statutory iron posts and provides for not registering these surveys at the Land Titles Office. For details refer to the following documents. Dual Registration of Public Land Surveys Dual Registration of Public Land Surveys Memorandum March 30, 2012 Survey Manual PL Surveys Page 4 of 6
Amending and Renewing Existing Dispositions Disposition Reservations (DRS) Disposition Reservations (DRS) are a unique disposition type used exclusively for Sustainable Resource Development and other ministries within the Government of Alberta. DRSs have many purposes ranging from fire towers to fish habitat protection areas. Generally, the survey requirements for DRSs follow those of similar non DRS related dispositions, for example, a fire tower would be an MLL, a road would be a monumented LOC, a recreation area would be an REC, etc. Licence of Occupation (LOC) access roads Survey requirements are outlined in Part D, Section 5.10 of the Manual of Standard Practice (MSP). If the existing LOC access road has not been surveyed, an amendment of the right of way limit will require the entire road to be surveyed. If the existing LOC access road has been surveyed, but the survey has been performed prior to construction, the entire road will have to be re-surveyed. If SRD receives confirmation from the disposition holder that the access road has been constructed within the surveyed right of way, a resurvey will not be required. Confirmation will be in the form of a signed letter by an Alberta Land Surveyor. If the existing LOC access road has been surveyed after construction, only the amended portion of the road needs to be surveyed. If the amended portion of the road has been constructed, the amendment must be surveyed, but if the amended portion has not been constructed, a sketch plan would be acceptable. In these cases, the new amendment plan becomes an itemized plan (e.g. item a ). The itemized plan and the original plan form the disposition extent. Partial assignment of LOC access roads generally follow the above requirements, but should be discussed with a Technical Services supervisor or manager. In cases when the access road is surveyed and the road is constructed within the surveyed right of way, the existing survey plan may be used to amend the existing LOC and authorize a new LOC. A road is considered constructed when it is used as a road, even if no construction works have taken place e.g. winter road along a cutline is constructed when it has been used as a road. Mineral Surface Lease (MSL) Survey requirements are outlined in Part D, Section 5.8, of the Manual of Standard Practice (MSP). Except as noted below, if the existing MSL has never been surveyed, the entire disposition including the amendment will have to be surveyed. If the amendment is to a surveyed MSL disposition that is less than 10 hectares, follow the requirements of Part D, Section 5.11 of the MSP. If the amendment is to a surveyed MSL disposition that is 10 hectares or larger, only the boundaries of the existing MSL adjacent to the amendment need to be surveyed, following the requirements of Part D, Section 5.11 of the MSP. In these cases, the new amendment plan becomes an itemized plan (e.g. item a ). The itemized plan and the original plan form the disposition extent. March 30, 2012 Survey Manual PL Surveys Page 5 of 6
Note: In cases where 10 hectares or larger un-surveyed MSL leases are being amended, e.g. oil sands, a revised sketch plan replacing the existing sketch plan may be considered with prior approval from a Technical Services supervisor or manager. In these cases, there is a commitment to survey the lease at a later date. Mineral Surface Lease (MSL), Surface Material Lease (SML), Miscellaneous Lease (MLL), Recreation Lease (REC), Pipeline Installation Lease (PIL) Access Roads Survey requirements are outlined in Part D, Section 5.8 of the Manual of Standard Practice (MSP). In these situations the access road forms part of the MSL, SML, MLL, REC or PIL. Only one limit of the road needs to be monumented (every deflection point). Refer to Part D, Section 4.1.3 of the MSP for spacing requirements. To minimize plan rejections, verify whether the access road application will form part of the MSL, SML, MLL, REC, or PIL prior to survey. Surface Material Lease (SML), Miscellaneous Lease (MLL), Recreation Lease (REC), and Pipeline Installation Lease (PIL) Survey requirements are outlined in Part D, Section 5.8 of the Manual of Standard Practice (MSP). Except as noted below, if the existing disposition has never been surveyed, the entire disposition including the amendment will have to be surveyed. If the amendment is to a surveyed disposition that is less than 10 hectares, follow the requirements of Part D, Section 5.11 of the MSP. If the amendment is to a surveyed disposition that is 10 hectares or larger, only the boundaries of the existing disposition adjacent to the amendment need to be surveyed, following the requirements of Part D, Section 5.11 of the MSP. In these cases, the new amendment plan becomes an itemized plan (e.g. item a ). The itemized plan and the original plan form the disposition extent. If an REC lease is renewed for 10-years, an updated sketch plan can be used. Note: In cases where 10 hectare or larger un-surveyed dispositions are being amended, e.g. oil sands, a revised sketch plan replacing the existing sketch plan may be considered with prior approval from a Technical Services supervisor or manager. In these cases, there is a commitment to survey the lease at a later date. Pipeline Agreements (PLA) Survey requirements are outlined in Part D, Section 5.8 of the Manual of Standard Practice (MSP). Amending an existing PLA may take several forms, including surveying a replacement plan for the entire right of way or surveying a new PLA for the amended portion. Surveyors are encouraged to discuss options with a Technical Services supervisor or manager. Partial assignments from one company to another company may be accomplished in several ways, including surveying an Area A and Area B at the point of separation. Surveyors are encouraged to discuss options with a Technical Services supervisor or manager. March 30, 2012 Survey Manual PL Surveys Page 6 of 6