Giant sink hole on 252 outside Lake City

[Janet]

The Gainesville Sun has a good article concerning the sink hole today.
It is taking in the water from the ponds along 252 near the S&S west of 75. They say it is taking in 10 million gallons of pond water an hour. It is a threat to the surrounding houses well water, they are afraid it is going into the aquifer.
Janet

[HomoErectus]

http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050302/MYUFL/50302029&SearchID=73200768039437

[Genesis]

Could this be a new cave system to dive? :-D

[normblitch]

Could this be a new cave system to dive? :-D

Two questions come to mind...

Is there anything to be gained by monitoring known Karst windows for signs of silt appearing from this, and

Has there EVER been an instance in the short History of Cave Diving where a sinkhole freshly-formed has been dove?

Norm

[Puttzer]

I'd like to see this place this weekend. Is it accessible and does anyone have directions?

[FW]

I'd like to see this place this weekend. Is it accessible and does anyone have directions?

It is in the article, but I don't think the sheriff would like a lot of traffic in the area.

[Tegg]

Could this be a new cave system to dive? :-D

Two questions come to mind...

Is there anything to be gained by monitoring known Karst windows for signs of silt appearing from this, and

Has there EVER been an instance in the short History of Cave Diving where a sinkhole freshly-formed has been dove?

Norm

Actually, I think a dye trace while the water is going into it would be best... then simply have several collection points around the area...

Honestly though, this _could_ just be a sinkhole. Maybe there is no cave system associated with this...

[normblitch]

I'd like to see this place this weekend. Is it accessible and does anyone have directions?

It is in the article, but I don't think the sheriff would like a lot of traffic in the area.

AFAIK from reports here in Jacksonville (since the SuperBowl, known as the Towne that KNOWS how to Blow things UP), the immediate area is off-limits to Kibitzers...

Norm

[litdiver]

http://www.lakecityreporter.com/articles/2005/03/03/news/top_story/news01.txt

This was in the Lake City Reporter this morning concerning the sink hole..

[John L.]

I would imagine that the sinkhole is very unstable and dangerous to try to dive it. They say it's still caving in.

[Tegg]

http://www.lakecityreporter.com/articles/2005/03/03/news/top_story/news01.txt

This was in the Lake City Reporter this morning concerning the sink hole..

Some risk taking individual could snag the property for cheap from the homeowner before anyone really gets to find out if it will be a valid location for cavediving after things settle down... 8)

[Janet]

The area around the sink hole is not accessible by the public.
Only those that live there are allowed on 252, traffic is rerouted around the area. 7 wells in the area that were tested are contaminated.
I'd like to see how low the swamp is there now. They say they feel the water is traveling south or southwest. Pretty sure there will be no cave diving allowed, HOWEVER if there is I'm be more than happy to check the
C-cards........ha ha ha! :lol:

[FW]

Pretty sure there will be no cave diving allowed, HOWEVER if there is I'm be more than happy to check the
C-cards........ha ha ha! :lol:

There is a C-card for "Dark Water, First Magnitude Syphon Diver"?

:-)

Or maybe "Suicide Diver"?

[Gregthecaver]

Pretty sure there will be no cave diving allowed, HOWEVER if there is I'm be more than happy to check the
C-cards........ha ha ha! :lol:

There is a C-card for "Dark Water, First Magnitude Syphon Diver"?

:-)

Or maybe "Suicide Diver"?



Yes..And it is issued by :blackbar . :-D

[John L.]

Yeah, a death certificate!

[Genesis]

Now now, you gotta wait for it to calm down, of course...

But it appears that the authorities are trying to fill / stop it with sandbags and such. That's a bummer if it connects to something..... and it certainly looks like it might.

[Janet]

A sixth sink hole has opened outside Lake City and has forced the closure of 252 down again. The house hasn't fallen into the first one yet,
it is falling apart slowly. The sink is full of ugly black water, you do not see any movement in the water. The last two has opened in the swamp area where the water that flowed into the sink came from. They've been sand bagging to stop the water but more sinks open behind the sandbags. One also opened on Mucho Mulch property, a power pole is right at the edge of it. We've gotten 2-4 inches of rain this week contributing to the problem.
They have to test to see if there is a cavern underneath the highway now.
Janet

[Dwain]

A sixth sink hole has opened outside Lake City and has forced the closure of 252 down again. The house hasn't fallen into the first one yet,
it is falling apart slowly. The sink is full of ugly black water, you do not see any movement in the water. The last two has opened in the swamp area where the water that flowed into the sink came from. They've been sand bagging to stop the water but more sinks open behind the sandbags. One also opened on Mucho Mulch property, a power pole is right at the edge of it. We've gotten 2-4 inches of rain this week contributing to the problem.
They have to test to see if there is a cavern underneath the highway now.
Janet

I"m wondering how many wells in the area contributed to the sink opening up...

[Tegg]

I"m wondering how many wells in the area contributed to the sink opening up...

Why would that have any effect? :wink:

[Dwain]

I"m wondering how many wells in the area contributed to the sink opening up...

Why would that have any effect? :wink:

When to much ground water is removed to fast it doesn't have the surface pressure to hold the topograghy up. Any areas that are weak is where the sink hole opens up.

here is an article on sink in West Central Florida (http://www.cavedivingcentral.com/training/sinkholeswestcentralFL.swf).

[curtschu]

Or when there has been excessive rain in a short period of time the ground becomes saturated and too heavy for the structure beneath it to hold up any longer and it collapses

[Dwain]

Or when there has been excessive rain in a short period of time the ground becomes saturated and too heavy for the structure beneath it to hold up any longer and it collapses

that to...

[Dwain]

Does anyone have the official word as to why it opened up... Would like to know.

Any geologist out there... Hint Hint (Jerry). :garfield

[ufcaver]

I dont think this sinkhole has anything to with the private wells drawing down the water table. More to do with heavy, saturated overburden. Just my opinion.