[KEVIN & JOSIE]

Very Informative.

The Science Behind Florida’s Sinkhole Epidemic
|
Science | Smithsonian

[xcaligirl]

I think over-developing is a major problem.

[Madelaine Amee]

Originally Posted by KEVIN & JOSIE

Very Informative.

The Science Behind Florida’s Sinkhole Epidemic
|
Science | Smithsonian

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.”


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|
Science | Smithsonian
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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]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

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.

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

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

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...viated_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]

Originally Posted by xcaligirl

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...viated_0_2.pdf

[New Englander]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

That is what George Veni, the scientist quoted in the article, sees.http://www.sulross.edu/sites/default...viated_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]

Originally Posted by 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

Yep.

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