The Vara

There’s a giant gas field (the Barnett Shale) currently being explored in Texas that has a trillion cubic feet of natural gas every seven square miles – it’s an underground ocean of natural gas; drive through north central Texas and you’ll once again see drilling rigs peppering the landscape. I was recently asked by a drilling company representative to help decipher and retrace an old legal description containing phrases like this: “Thence N 23 1/2 W 232 vrs.”

If you’re not familiar with the “vara,” (the plural of which is varas, or “vrs.”) you’re already confused. This unit of measure was introduced in the 19th century to measure Spanish land grants (the Spanish unit was set to about 835.9mm in 1801) and in Texas is legally defined as 33-1/3 inches (1 Vara = 2.777 feet).

Interestingly enough, the origin of vara can be traced to the ancient Egyptians, but its exact length is unknown. Even more strange – the vara differs in length from East Texas to West Texas, but in 1919, the Texas legislature adopted the vara as their legal unit of measure – and it still stands today.

Why is boundary research in Texas (as well as other southern states) sometimes tedious and difficult? Because not only were most of the original surveys measured in varas, but many of the original field notes were transcribed in Spanish – by surveyors who never set foot on the land (what some refer to as a “drawing board survey”)! As a result, and almost obviously, it is the intention of a grantor and surveyor that takes precedence and is supported by the courts in surveys conducted in Texas.

For more information on the Vara as a unit of length:
Vara as a unit of length

For more information on the history of the Vara in Texas:
History of the Vara in Texas

Vara Measurements differ by locality:
1 Vara (Texas-Spanish) = 33 1/3 inches
1 Vara (Southern Colorado) = 32.993 inches
1 Vara (Florida) = 33.372 inches
1 Vara (California) = 33 inches

Other interesting units of length:
1 link = .66 feet
100 links = 1 chain
10 chains = 1 furlong = 660 feet
10 square chains = 1 acre = 43560 square feet

1rod = 1 rood = 1 perch = 1 pole = 16.5 feet
4 rods = 1 chain = 66 feet

1 Acre Square = 5645.376 square varas

1 Chain = 23.76 varas

1 Labor Square (TX-Span) = 1,000,000 sq varas
1 Labor = 177.136 acres
1 League = 960 rods, poles or perches
1 League = 240 chains
1 League = 24 furlongs
1 League = 3 miles

1 League = 15840 feet
1 League = 5702.4 varas
1 League = 5280 yards
1 League Square = 25,000,000 sq varas

1 Mile = 5,280 feet
1 Mile = 8 furlongs
1 Mile = 320 rods, poles or perches
1 Mile = 80 chains

1 Mile Square = a regular Section of land
1 Mile Square = 27,878,400 square feet
1 Mile Square = 640 acres

1 Section = 1 mile long, by 1 mile wide
1 Section = 640 acres
1 Township = 6 miles long, by 6 miles wide
1 Township = 36 sections
1 Township = 36 square miles

1 Acre = 43,560 square feet
1 Acre = 160 square rods
1 Acre = 10 square chains
1 Acre = 160 square rods
1 Acre = 160 perches
1 Acre = 160 poles

Thanks to Pat at Stanley Group, Doug at the TSPS, and Tommie at Baker-Aicklen & Associates.

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