Smithsonian Magazine Report on Florida Sinkholes

[KEVIN & JOSIE]

Very Informative.

The Science Behind Florida’s Sinkhole Epidemic
|
Science | Smithsonian (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/science-behind-floridas-sinkhole-epidemic-180969158/)

[xcaligirl]

I think over-developing is a major problem.

[Madelaine Amee]

Very Informative.

The Science Behind Florida’s Sinkhole Epidemic
|
Science | Smithsonian (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/science-behind-floridas-sinkhole-epidemic-180969158/)

Thanks for posting - it's enlightening and frightening all at the same time.

I have seen a massive sink hole in NH in the mountains where trees and bushes just fell into a huge chasm, at that time I did not realize it was a sink hole!

[graciegirl]

This author says "The Villages is a hotbed of sinkholes".

Right away I distrust this article. A hotbed suggests to me a lot of sinkholes happening frequently. That is not the case here.

The sinkholes reported near the rec center after Irma happened after nine inches of rain in 24 hours.

[jane032657]

Gracie, Aside from a sentence or two that you may disagree with, and I respect your feelings, the article is in a scientific magazine that has no agenda. I think its content has value.

[graciegirl]

///

[graciegirl]

,,,

[graciegirl]

……,,,,,

[manaboutown]

This is from the Smithsonian Magazine article on the sinkhole epidemic.

"Man-made development, it turns out, is the most persistent factor for increased sinkholes. Earth-moving equipment scrapes away protective layers of soil; parking lots and paved roads divert rainwater to new infiltration points; the weight of new buildings presses down on weak spots; buried infrastructure can lead to leaking pipes; and, perhaps most of all, the pumping of groundwater disrupts the delicate water table that keeps the karst stable. “Our preliminary research indicates that the risk of sinkholes is 11 times greater in developed areas than undeveloped ones,” says George Veni, the executive director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute who conducted a field study in Sinkhole Alley."
And The Villages has been in development overdrive. It was the fastest growing metropolitan area in the US. four years in a row (2013-16), and it’s still in the top 10. In his 2008 book Leisureville, journalist Andrew Blechman reported that The Villages would “finish its build-out—an industry term for the point when a project is complete—in the very near future,” peaking at “110,000 residents.” Yet a decade later, the population has sped past 125,000. Last year The Villages reported a 93 percent boom in housing construction and a new purchase of land that will yield up to 20,000 homes. Another land deal for 8,000 new homes is nearing completion.

Those new homes will bring more golf courses, and The Villages already has 49 of them (#2 per capita among all U.S. counties). The retention ponds built on those courses can leak into the karst and trigger sinkholes. Irrigating those 49 courses and the tens of thousands of lawns in The Villages is also a significant risk factor. In his 2016 book Oh, Florida, veteran reporter Craig Pittman reveals how his friend who worked at the Daily Sun said the staff was never to write two things: 1) anything complimentary of Barack Obama, and 2) “The numerous sinkholes that open up because of all the water being pumped from the aquifer to keep lawns and golf courses green.”


Read more: The Science Behind Florida’s Sinkhole Epidemic
|
Science | Smithsonian (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/science-behind-floridas-sinkhole-epidemic-180969158/#6Guj1j4wR1MhMWy2.99)
Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! Give the gift of Smithsonian (http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv)
Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter

Also, removing groundwater at ever increasing rates may cause problems. From the same article

"In a scathing column, Orlando Sentinel’s Lauren Ritchie notes how the fledgling community in 1991 had a water permit to use 65 millions gallons a year, but by 2017 that rate reached “a stunning 12.4 billion gallons a year.” The local aquifer in Sumter County is also threatened by a controversial plan by a bottling company to pump nearly a half-million gallons of water a day—and double that rate during peak months. Despite the protests of Villagers worried that a falling water table will spur sinkholes, pumping will begin soon."

[ColdNoMore]

This is from the article on the sinkhole epidemic.

"Man-made development, it turns out, is the most persistent factor for increased sinkholes. Earth-moving equipment scrapes away protective layers of soil; parking lots and paved roads divert rainwater to new infiltration points; the weight of new buildings presses down on weak spots; buried infrastructure can lead to leaking pipes; and, perhaps most of all, the pumping of groundwater disrupts the delicate water table that keeps the karst stable. “Our preliminary research indicates that the risk of sinkholes is 11 times greater in developed areas than undeveloped ones,” says George Veni, the executive director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute who conducted a field study in Sinkhole Alley."
And The Villages has been in development overdrive. It was the fastest growing metropolitan area in the US. four years in a row (2013-16), and it’s still in the top 10. In his 2008 book Leisureville, journalist Andrew Blechman reported that The Villages would “finish its build-out—an industry term for the point when a project is complete—in the very near future,” peaking at “110,000 residents.” Yet a decade later, the population has sped past 125,000. Last year The Villages reported a 93 percent boom in housing construction and a new purchase of land that will yield up to 20,000 homes. Another land deal for 8,000 new homes is nearing completion.

Those new homes will bring more golf courses, and The Villages already has 49 of them (#2 per capita among all U.S. counties). The retention ponds built on those courses can leak into the karst and trigger sinkholes. Irrigating those 49 courses and the tens of thousands of lawns in The Villages is also a significant risk factor. In his 2016 book Oh, Florida, veteran reporter Craig Pittman reveals how his friend who worked at the Daily Sun said the staff was never to write two things: 1) anything complimentary of Barack Obama, and 2) “The numerous sinkholes that open up because of all the water being pumped from the aquifer to keep lawns and golf courses green.”


Also, removing groundwater at ever increasing rates may cause problems. From the same article

"In a scathing column, Orlando Sentinel’s Lauren Ritchie notes how the fledgling community in 1991 had a water permit to use 65 millions gallons a year, but by 2017 that rate reached “a stunning 12.4 billion gallons a year.” The local aquifer in Sumter County is also threatened by a controversial plan by a bottling company to pump nearly a half-million gallons of water a day—and double that rate during peak months. Despite the protests of Villagers worried that a falling water table will spur sinkholes, pumping will begin soon."

All excellent info. :thumbup:

The underlined being particularly interesting...but totally unsurprising.

[manaboutown]

I respect your feelings too. Chris Boddener does not work for the Smithsonian. He is not a scientist. He sold the article to The Smithsonian probably after the national news picked up our sinkhole. . He graduated from Wake Forest ten years ago with not one Scientific study to his name. Wait for more...…


https://www.linkedin.com/in/bodenner

Or you all could google Chris Boddener just like I did.

But George Veni is a scientist. http://www.sulross.edu/sites/default/files/sites/default/files/users/docs/rgrc_sr/veni_vita_abbreviated_0_2.pdf

The author of the article searched and found scientific studies done by scientists and provides information from them. Why attack the messenger?

[manaboutown]

I think over-developing is a major problem.

That is what George Veni, the scientist quoted in the article, sees.http://www.sulross.edu/sites/default/files/sites/default/files/users/docs/rgrc_sr/veni_vita_abbreviated_0_2.pdf

[New Englander]

That is what George Veni, the scientist quoted in the article, sees.http://www.sulross.edu/sites/default/files/sites/default/files/users/docs/rgrc_sr/veni_vita_abbreviated_0_2.pdf

Are you worried about your home in The Villages?

[Chatbrat]

No-thats what insurance is for--and for us FROGS--nothing to worry about--don't care about house value--the Admiral will do what she wants to do with it when I'm gone--she says she'll down size

[ColdNoMore]

No-thats what insurance is for--and for us FROGS--nothing to worry about--don't care about house value--the Admiral will do what she wants to do with it when I'm gone--she says she'll down size

Yep.

And if I happen to be the last to go...then my children can worry about the house value.

[circletrack]

They keep claiming that they are sucking up water from the aquifer to water the golf courses and landscape.
All of that water is reclaimed from retention ponds.

[ricthemic]

AE449/AE449: Using Reclaimed Water for Landscape Irrigation (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae449).

Florida. Non potable water from local sewerage treatment facilities used for golf course irragation, retention ponds ( in and out) and all home lawns south of 466

[TNGary]

Very Informative.

The Science Behind Florida’s Sinkhole Epidemic
|
Science | Smithsonian (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/science-behind-floridas-sinkhole-epidemic-180969158/)

Thanks for taking the time to post the link, much appreciated.

[Bucco]

Very Informative.

The Science Behind Florida’s Sinkhole Epidemic
|
Science | Smithsonian (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/science-behind-floridas-sinkhole-epidemic-180969158/)

Thanks for a great and informative article.

Learned a lot about sinkholes and also the local paper, which I suspected but never knew.

But thanks....pertinent and interesting

[manaboutown]

AE449/AE449: Using Reclaimed Water for Landscape Irrigation (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae449).

Florida. Non potable water from local sewerage treatment facilities used for golf course irragation, retention ponds ( in and out) and all home lawns south of 466

Unless the water in the retention ponds is collected from rainwater or an above ground river, it is water initially taken from the aquifer; it is used in potable forms in households, restaurants and commercially, then reclaimed for irrigation. While that is an efficient use of a resource and reduces the rate of water consumption from the aquifer it still requires a lot of water in a development having the size, landscaping, yards and numerous golf courses of The Villages. Furthermore, the irrigation of lawns and golf courses, whether from potable or reclaimed water, impacts the Karst.

[ColdNoMore]

All this talk about sinkholes, could make a person fall...into a depression.



:D

[Fredster]

Maybe all the talk and publicity about sinkholes,
will slow down TV’s growth?

[Barefoot]

Maybe all the talk and publicity about sinkholes, will slow down TV’s growth?
Perhaps a handful of people will be deterred from purchasing,
but I think most will realize it's a Florida problem, not a Villages problem.
I doubt that anything will slow TV's phenomenal growth. It's a stellar retirement community.

[manaboutown]

Nah! It won't touch growth. Build it; they will come.

[GoodLife]

I agree with Gracie, the article is click bait. Phrases like "hotbed of sinkholes" "sinkholes are spiking" "everybody is worried" kind of give it away. In the last 20 years or so I think about 50 homes here have been damaged by sinkholes. Currently we have maybe 65,000 homes here so that's a .0769 percent chance it will happen to you. More likely to get run over by a drunk driver.

I once considered investing in Timber Lakes, Hernando County. Until I saw the sinkhole map for that area. Sinkholes on every other block. That is a "hotbed"

But do carry on, it's great for your property values!

[New Englander]

Nah! It won't touch growth. Build it; they will come.

How about you, are you gonna come?

[Hifred]

I read this article. I do not live in the Villages but would like to live there someday. What concerns me is that politically the villages is a large voting group. There is a lot of political power with all of the residents. So how does a water bottling plant in Sumter County get a permit to pump 500,000 gals. of water a day. The permit is issued and pumping will begin this summer. Why don't people in the Villages ban together to help stop this knowing that water disturbance has an effect on sinkholes? Between the mine blasting for the quarry and the water being drained by the water bottling plant it is easy to see that in the future there will be more sinkholes. Water disturbance and the land tremors from blasting can't help the sink hole phenomenon. Has an effort been made to ban residents together on this issue and go after the politicians who are supporting the permit for water pumping?

[Carl in Tampa]

I read this article. I do not live in the Villages but would like to live there someday. What concerns me is that politically the villages is a large voting group. There is a lot of political power with all of the residents. So how does a water bottling plant in Sumter County get a permit to pump 500,000 gals. of water a day. The permit is issued and pumping will begin this summer. Why don't people in the Villages ban together to help stop this knowing that water disturbance has an effect on sinkholes? Between the mine blasting for the quarry and the water being drained by the water bottling plant it is easy to see that in the future there will be more sinkholes. Water disturbance and the land tremors from blasting can't help the sink hole phenomenon. Has an effort been made to ban residents together on this issue and go after the politicians who are supporting the permit for water pumping?

The Villages is actually in parts of Sumter, Marion, and Lake Counties. Only that fraction that lives in Sumter could vote on this issue. Sumter is a large county, extending south to the Green Swamp, and around the Bushnell area it extends east to west from Nobleton to Center Hill. This dilutes the perceived large voting block of The Villages.

But, I agree with you that The Villages people in Sumter County could make a difference IF they ever banded together.

[manaboutown]

But, I agree with you that The Villages people in Sumter County could make a difference IF they ever banded together.

They could identify their band as "The Villages People". village people ymca - Google Search (https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=village+people+ymca&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8)

Sorry Carl, I could not help myself.

[Packer Fan]

Gracie, Aside from a sentence or two that you may disagree with, and I respect your feelings, the article is in a scientific magazine that has no agenda. I think its content has value.

There is no such thing as a person without an agenda. If you don’t believe scientists can have an agenda, you have not been paying attention with the global warming argument, or was that the next ice age coming? 😂

This sinkhole thing is overblown

[Barefoot]

... The Villages people in Sumter County could make a difference IF they ever banded together.We did band together, there was an organization in The Villages that fought the proposal.
However it was approved anyway.

[Lbmb24101]

I agree with Gracie, the article is click bait. Phrases like "hotbed of sinkholes" "sinkholes are spiking" "everybody is worried" kind of give it away. In the last 20 years or so I think about 50 homes here have been damaged by sinkholes. Currently we have maybe 65,000 homes here so that's a .0769 percent chance it will happen to you. More likely to get run over by a drunk driver.

I once considered investing in Timber Lakes, Hernando County. Until I saw the sinkhole map for that area. Sinkholes on every other block. That is a "hotbed"

But do carry on, it's great for your property values!
Excellent post
Short, to the point and logically reasoned!

[e-flyer]

New sinkhole in the road opened up at 466A and BV today according to the other news.

[Barefoot]

New sinkhole in the road opened up at 466A and BV today according to the other news.I saw the article in the online newspaper about the sink hole on 466A at BV.
Not very large yet, but as we all know, they can quickly increase in size.

[ColdNoMore]

I saw the article in the online newspaper about the sink hole on 466A at BV.
Not very large yet, but as we all know, they can quickly increase in size.

Good point.

From the photo and if it were from anywhere else, or we knew how deep it was...one could easily assume it was simply a normal pothole.

We'll just have to wait and see if it is truly a sinkhole...or a small failure of the pavement-base. :shrug:

[capecoralbill]

So how does a water bottling plant in Sumter County get a permit to pump 500,000 gals. of water a day. The permit is issued and pumping will begin this summer.

This is news to me, and if true, wouldn't all this water empty the aquifer (s) under our houses? This sounds like fraking to me, cant the Governnor create a moratorium on this until some research is done?

I found this at : Permit seeks 500K gallons a day from aquifer - News - Daily Commercial - Leesburg, FL (http://www.dailycommercial.com/news/article_531b8eb8-0152-5315-893b-e6a3eff6f82e.html)

"If granted a permit, SWR Properties has an agreement to sell the water to Azure Water, which has an about 15,000-square-foot bottled water co-packing operation at 1903 Greenleaf Lane, off Tally Road, in Leesburg.
In turn, Azure would sell the water to existing clients like Publix, DS Water and the Niagra Bottling Company. Permit documents show Azure has other potential bottled water buyers that include big-box stores like Wal-Mart, Sams, Target and Kmart; grocery store chains like Winn-Dixie, Kroger, Fresh Market and Whole Foods; convenience store chains like 7-Eleven, Race Trac, Wawa and Hess; and drug stores like Walgreens and CVS."

[Barefoot]

This is news to me, and if true, wouldn't all this water empty the aquifer (s) under our houses?
I found this at : Permit seeks 500K gallons a day from aquifer - News - Daily Commercial - Leesburg, FL (http://www.dailycommercial.com/news/article_531b8eb8-0152-5315-893b-e6a3eff6f82e.html)
Supposedly they use a "deep" acquifer that doesn't affect us. I don't buy it.
I'm surprised that you haven't heard about it.
There were people who banded together in opposition, but their voices were overruled.
The water company received approval to go ahead. :rant-rave:

[champion6]

I hope I don't regret writing this post.

First, water is a finite source that is not guaranteed to last forever. It must be used logically.

But, I want to put into perspective the requested withdrawal of 500,000 gal/day (0.5 million) from the Floridan aquifer.

"Total withdrawals from the Floridan aquifer system in 2000 were ranked 5th highest of all principle aquifers in the Nation at 3,640 million gallons per day." That's 3 billion, 640 million gal/day.
Source: Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floridan_aquifer)

Additionally, there are approximately 700 springs in Florida. These hydrological springs are naturally occurring places where water flows from the aquifer to the surface.

Several of the springs with the largest outflows are in Citrus and Marion counties. One in Citrus county has a daily outflow of more than 630 million gal/day. It just leaves the aquifer naturally.
Source: Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_major_springs_in_Florida) A long article but very informative.

Again, water conservation is important. However, 500,000 gal/day could be considered the proverbial "drop in the bucket." Fortunately, there is a process that any business must follow so that withdrawal from the aquifer is approved.

[My Post]

Why aren't we better able to take the salt out of the ocean water and use that?

[manaboutown]

Why aren't we better able to take the salt out of the ocean water and use that?

high cost