H-4025.1

HOUSE BILL 2860

ByRepresentatives Orcutt and Fey

AN ACT Relating to the Washington plane coordinate system; amending RCW 58.20.140, 58.20.160, 58.20.180, 58.20.200, 58.20.210, and 58.20.220; adding new sections to chapter 58.20 RCW; and repealing RCW 58.20.110, 58.20.120, 58.20.130, 58.20.150, 58.20.170, and 58.20.190.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 58.20 RCW to read as follows:

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "Metadata" means data that describes other data. For the purposes of this chapter, metadata means geodetic reference system utilized, applicable epoch, statement of relative accuracy, and date of observation at a minimum. Additional metadata is encouraged if it adds value.

(2) "NGS" means the national ocean service's national geodetic survey of the national oceanic and atmospheric administration, United States department of commerce, or its successor.

(3) "NSRS" means the national spatial reference system or its successor.

(4) "WPCS" means the Washington plane coordinate system, the system of plane coordinates under this chapter that is identical to the state plane coordinate system as defined for the state of Washington by NGS.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 58.20 RCW to read as follows:

The most recent version of the state plane coordinate system for the state of Washington, which has been established by NGS, based on the NSRS, for defining and stating the positions or locations of points on the surface of the earth within the state of Washington must be known as the "Washington plane coordinate system."

Sec. 3. RCW 58.20.140 and 1989 c 54 s 12 are each amended to read as follows:

((As established for use in the north zone, the))The Washington plane coordinate system ((of 1983)) shall be named, and in any land description in which it is used it shall be designated, the "Washington plane coordinate system ((of 1983))," ((north zone))and the zone used must be specified.

((As established for use in the south zone, the Washington coordinate system of 1983 shall be named, and in any land description in which it is used it shall be designated, the "Washington coordinate system of 1983, south zone."))

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 58.20 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The plane coordinates of a point on the earth's surface, to be used in expressing the position or location of the point in the appropriate zone of the WPCS, consist of two distances, expressed in feet and decimals of a foot or meters and decimals of a meter, along with the metadata of the observations used to determine the coordinates. One of these distances, to be known as the "east x-coordinate," must give the distance east of the Y axis; the other, to be known as the "north y-coordinate," must give the distance north of the X axis. The Y axis of any zone must be parallel with the central meridian of that zone. The X axis of any zone must be at right angles to the central meridian of that zone.

(2) Height is the coordinate value of the vertical elements of the NSRS expressed as feet or meters and identified as ellipsoid height or orthometric height.

Sec. 5. RCW 58.20.160 and 1989 c 54 s 14 are each amended to read as follows:

When any tract of land to be defined by a single description extends from one ((into the other of the)) coordinate ((zones under RCW 58.20.130))zone into other zones, the positions of all points on its boundaries ((may))must be referred to ((either))only one of the zones, the zone which is used being specifically named in the description along with the metadata of the observations.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6. A new section is added to chapter 58.20 RCW to read as follows:

The official geodetic datums to which geodetic coordinates including, but not limited to, latitude, longitude, ellipsoid height, orthometric height, or dynamic height are referenced within the state of Washington must be as defined for the NSRS.

Sec. 7. RCW 58.20.180 and 1989 c 54 s 16 are each amended to read as follows:

Coordinates based on the Washington plane coordinate system ((of 1983)), purporting to define the position of a point on a land boundary, may be presented to be recorded in any public land records or deed records ((if the survey method used for the determination of these coordinates is established in conformity with standards and specifications prescribed by the interagency federal geodetic control committee, or its successor)). ((These surveys shall be connected to monumented control stations that are adjusted to and published in the national network of geodetic control by the national geodetic survey and such connected horizontal control stations))The method and source for establishing coordinates shall be described in the land or deed record. ((Standards and specifications of the committee in force on the date of the survey shall apply.)) In all instances where reference has been made to such coordinates in land surveys or deeds, the ((scale and sea level))combined factors shall be stated for the survey lines used in computing ground distances and areas, along with the metadata of the observations.

((The position of the Washington coordinate system of 1983 shall be marked on the ground by horizontal geodetic control stations which have been established in conformity with the survey standards adopted by the committee and whose geodetic positions have been rigorously adjusted on the North American datum of 1983, and whose coordinates have been computed and published on the system defined in RCW 58.20.110 through 58.20.220 and 58.20.901. Any such control station may be used to establish a survey connection with the Washington coordinate system of 1983.))

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8. A new section is added to chapter 58.20 RCW to read as follows:

When the values are expressed in feet, one foot equals 0.3048 meters, must be used as the standard foot for WPCS.

Sec. 9. RCW 58.20.200 and 1989 c 54 s 18 are each amended to read as follows:

The use of the term "Washington plane coordinate system ((of 1983))" on any map, report of survey, or other document, shall be limited to coordinates based on the Washington plane coordinate system ((of 1983)) as defined in this chapter.

Sec. 10. RCW 58.20.210 and 1989 c 54 s 19 are each amended to read as follows:

Whenever coordinates based on the Washington plane coordinate system ((of 1983)) are used to describe any tract of land which in the same document is also described by reference to any subdivision, line or corner of the United States public land surveys, the description by coordinates shall be construed as supplemental to the basic description of such subdivision, line, or corner contained in the official plats and field notes filed of record, and in the event of any conflict the description by reference to the subdivision, line, or corner of the United States public land surveys shall prevail over the description by coordinates.

Sec. 11. RCW 58.20.220 and 1989 c 54 s 20 are each amended to read as follows:

Nothing contained in this chapter shall require any purchaser or mortgagee to rely on a description, any part of which depends exclusively upon the Washington plane coordinate system ((of 1927 or 1983)).

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 12. A new section is added to chapter 58.20 RCW to read as follows:

The provisions of this chapter may not be construed to prohibit the appropriate use of other datums, other geodetic reference networks or systems, or other plane coordinate systems. Any other such datums, networks, or systems used must comply fully with the information requirements for the Washington plane coordinate system. This includes, but is not limited to: The source of the datum, network, or system; metadata of the observations; factor used to convert from meters to feet; and combined factors applied to land boundary lines used in land surveys or deeds to compute ground distances or areas.

(1) RCW 58.20.110 (Definitions) and 1989 c 54 s 9;

(2) RCW 58.20.120 (System designation—Permitted uses) and 1989 c 54 s 10;

(3) RCW 58.20.130 (Plane coordinates adopted—Zones) and 1989 c 54 s 11;

(4) RCW 58.20.150 (Designation of coordinates—"N" and "E.") and 1989 c 54 s 13;

(5) RCW 58.20.170 (Zones—Technical definitions) and 1989 c 54 s 15; and

(6) RCW 58.20.190 (Conversion of coordinates—Metric) and 1989 c 54 s 17.

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