Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 236 - Platting lands and recording and vacating plats.
236.18 - Wisconsin coordinate system.

236.18 Wisconsin coordinate system.
(1) Requirement for recording.
(a) No plat that is referenced to a Wisconsin coordinate system under sub. (2) may be recorded unless it is based on a datum that the approving authority under s. 236.10 of the jurisdiction in which the land is located has selected by ordinance.
(b) An approving authority under s. 236.10 may select a Wisconsin coordinate system under sub. (2). If it does so, it shall notify the department, on a form provided by the department, of the selection.
(c) An approving authority may, by ordinance, select a different Wisconsin coordinate system under sub. (2) than the one previously selected under par. (b). If it does so, the approving authority shall notify the department on a form provided by the department.
(2) Allowable systems. An approving authority under s. 236.10 may select any one of the following systems:
(a) The Wisconsin coordinate system of 1927, which is based on the North American datum of 1927.
(b) The Wisconsin coordinate system of 1983 (1986), which is based on the North American datum of 1983 (adjustment of 1986).
(c) The Wisconsin coordinate system of 1983 (1991), which is based on the North American datum of 1983 (adjustment of 1991).
(d) A county coordinate system as approved by the department of transportation or a coordinate system that is mathematically relatable to a Wisconsin coordinate system.
(3) Zones. Each of the systems under sub. (2) includes the following zones:
(a) A north zone composed of the following counties: Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Florence, Forest, Iron, Oneida, Price, Sawyer, Vilas and Washburn.
(b) A central zone composed of the following counties: Barron, Brown, Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Door, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Kewaunee, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Rusk, St. Croix, Shawano, Taylor, Trempealeau, Waupaca and Wood.
(c) A south zone composed of the following counties: Adams, Calumet, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Manitowoc, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Ozaukee, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sheboygan, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Waushara and Winnebago.
(4) Applicable definitions and survey connections.
(a) The following definitions apply to the systems under sub. (2):
1. For the Wisconsin coordinate system of 1927, the definitions provided by the national geodetic survey in U.S. coastal and geodetic survey special publication 235 (1974 edition).
2. For the Wisconsin coordinate system of 1983 (1986) and the Wisconsin coordinate system of 1983 (1991), the definitions provided by the national geodetic survey in the national oceanic and atmospheric administration manual national ocean service, national geodetic survey 5 (1989 edition).
(b) Existing positions of the systems under sub. (2) that are marked on the ground by monuments established in conformity with standards adopted by the national geodetic survey for 3rd-order work and above and the geodetic positions of which have been rigidly adjusted on the North American datum of 1927, the North American datum of 1983 (adjustment of 1986), the North American datum of 1983 (adjustment of 1991) or any later adjustment of the North American datum of 1983 may be used to establish a survey connection to the systems under sub. (2).
(5) Overlapping land. If portions of any tract of land that is to be defined by one description in a plat are in different zones under sub. (3), the positions of all of the points on its boundaries may be referred to either of the zones but the zone to which those positions are referred and the system under sub. (2) that is used shall be named in the description and noted on the face of all maps and plats of the land.
(6) Coordinates.
(a) The plane coordinates of a point that are to be used to express the position or location of a point shall consist of 2 distances that are expressed in U.S. survey feet or meters and decimals of those feet or meters. The definitions of survey foot and meter in letter circular 1071 July 1976 national institute of standards and technology shall be used for conversion between feet and meters.
(b) For the Wisconsin coordinate system of 1927, the distances under par. (a) are the x-coordinate, which shall give the position in an east-and-west direction, and the y-coordinate, which shall give the position in a north-and-south direction.
(c) For the Wisconsin coordinate system of 1983 (1986) and the Wisconsin coordinate system of 1983 (1991), the distances are the northing, which shall give the position in a north-and-south direction and the easting, which shall give the position in an east-and-west direction.
(d) Coordinates in all of the systems under sub. (2) shall depend upon and conform to the plane rectangular coordinate values for the monumented points of the national geodetic reference system horizontal control network that are published by the national geodetic survey or by that agency's successor if those values have been computed on the basis of a system under sub. (2).
(7) Use of term restricted. No person may use the term “Wisconsin coordinate system" on any map, report of a survey or other document unless the coordinates on the document are based on a system under sub. (2).
(8) Designation. Any person who prepares a plat under this section shall designate on that plat which of the systems under sub. (2) and which of the zones under sub. (3) that person has referenced.
(9) Multiple descriptions. If a document describes a tract of land by means of the coordinates of a system under sub. (2) and by means of a reference to a subdivision, line or corner of the U.S. public land surveys, the description by means of coordinates supplements and is subordinate to the other description.
(10) Right of lenders and purchasers. A lender or purchaser may require a borrower or seller to provide the description required under s. 236.20.
History: 1979 c. 248 ss. 10, 25 (1); 1993 a. 16, 490; 2001 a. 16.