Sinkhole risk in Crook County, OR: Not karst, but voids possible

Not karst, but voids possible

No soluble bedrock; some pseudokarst (piping or lava-tube ground).

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

What this means before you buy

Not true karst, but soil piping or lava tubes can still open voids - mention it to an inspector.

Across 2,979 square miles, under one square mile of Crook County maps onto soluble rock. With about 27,336 residents (9 per square mile), much of the land is open, and the mapped rock may sit far from where people actually live. The figures come from 273 map points about 3.3 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Two things to read before deciding: how ground with no limestone still opens up, and how these percentages are measured.

Counties around Crook County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Emery County, UT, about 612 miles southeast. 3 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Wheeler County, OR 43 mi northeast · 0% at surface
Deschutes County, OR 46 mi west · 0% at surface
Jefferson County, OR 52 mi northwest · 2% at surface
Grant County, OR 71 mi east · 4% at surface
Wasco County, OR 79 mi northwest · 0% at surface
Gilliam County, OR 84 mi north · 0% at surface

Against the rest of Oregon

Crook County ranks 18 of 36 in Oregon for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 0% of US counties on that measure.