Strange fenced perfect circle
 

After a round of golf on Walnut grove (way north of 466), I google mapped what appeared to be a fenced preserve. To my surprise, it appeared from "above" as a large perfectly circular fenced area. I noticed some new marking flags out there, which was why I became interested. Does anyone have any idea what this land is for. I thought it was just another preserve, but now I think it may be connected to a sinkhole/depression from the past. It doesn't appear to have significant elevation change, but the circular shape just doesn't make sense for a typical preserve.

The flags might indicate a protected species underground.. Gopher Tortoise? They flag their burrows on golf courses.

Gopher tortoise - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Did you look up to see if there were high power lines running across this area? If one follows the power lines they will see the area below is usually part of a golf course or a nature preserve. There are high power lines running through this area.

Look on google map. It is very obviously a perfect (as perfect can be) circle. Fenced with the TV brown fencing. One doesn't notice this from the ground. No power lines. And anyway, power towers result in a long narrow pathway. Not a circle of this size. I first thought a wildlife preserve for tortoises; mounds with holes with marker sticks throughout the field. But that doesn't explain the circle. Not ancient aliens, either. I have looked at virtually all of TV, and cannot recall another preserve/field shaped like this. There are fenced horse training areas that have specific shapes, but this isn't one of those. Copy paste: Google Maps

It's the Lindsey Morse Mathews Kestrel Preserve and has been previously discussed.

I would never think to connect it to a sinkhole. We are all so different.

When Jim McLaughlin was showing us some resales about five years ago we saw an area behind one of the homes in that general area, that had a large circular fenced in area and a set of steps that seemed to be a viewing area. I knew it was Morse land and we thought it was a horse track of some kind.

The flags could be Turtle mounds even if that is so.

Thanks for the quick explanation and link. :thumbup:

Thanks, but that thread was 90% "flippant comments", and never addressed the why for the circle. Why the circle is the question.

Yes we are! Eyes wide open; eyes wide shut.

I cannot think of any logical reason that a "depression sinkhole from the past" would be inside of a perfect circle somewhere. Why would it need to be marked? Why in a circle? Once a sinkhole sinks it sinks......

I am a pretty good worrier, but I have explored every possibility and it doesn't seem likely that is what it is.

Can you link us to some information to support your theory?

Do this: look at all the TV preserves and fenced areas. see if any even approach a perfect circle. This is the only perfect circle I can find in TV. It abuts a straight road and three golf course holes. None of these would dictate a circular fence construction. I admit I am curious. If you and others are not, that's fine. But my curiosity does not imply some devious intent by the developer nor some ulterior motive on my part. I recall several Florida lakes that were said to have been formed by sinkholes. These lakes had a very circular boundary to them. I'm not saying that all circular lakes are former sinkholes. But I think that is a characteristic of many lakes formed by sinkholes. So, this circular sinkhole formation is common. the only difference is that this particular one doesn't have water because there is no clay/barrier to keep the water from draining. Fill dirt could have been used to level the ground, then turned into a preserve.

"Many ponds and lakes in Florida are a result of sinkhole formation. The characteristics of a sinkhole lake can give clues as to how it was formed. A circular lake indicates that the lake evolved from a collapse sinkhole. A shallow circular lake results from impermeable sediments washing into a subsidence sinkhole. If a lake rests above groundwater level, it is above a confining bed."
"On the surface, sinkholes may develop progressively as subtle, bowl-shaped depressions"

This doesn't answer any questions, but I notice they are installing new fencing on the perimeter of at least part of the circle.

The Liberty Park Eagle Preserve looks like it is made up of several different parcels of land, one of which is a circle. Have to look on Sumter Co. GIS map to see it. Just south of the Sunset Point Gate.