SinkholeOdds

Sinkhole risk in Columbia County, NY: Mostly deep or small

Mostly deep or small

Some soluble rock, mostly deeply buried or in a small share of the county.

On soluble rock
6%
At or near the surface
0%
Buried under cover
6%

What this means before you buy

Sinkholes are uncommon here; watch for new depressions after heavy rain or leaking pipes.

That works out to roughly 36 of Columbia County's 635 square miles on soluble rock. With about 60,299 residents (95 per square mile), homes are spread across towns and farmland, and a mapped unit may or may not reach the developed parts. The figures come from 245 map points about 1.6 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Worth reading for this county: why the 6% under cover still counts, and how these percentages are measured.

Counties around Columbia County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Union County, PA, about 198 miles southwest. 5 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band, so this is a regional pattern rather than a local quirk.

What Columbia County is built on

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Briarcliff Dolostone and Pine Plains Formation (dolostone (dolomite)), Cambrian in age, covering about 2% of the county. Next is the Balmville Limestone at 1%.

Against the rest of New York

Columbia County ranks 15 of 62 in New York for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 0% of US counties on that measure.