Sinkhole risk in Dade County, GA: Pockets of it

Pockets of it

Soluble rock at the surface or under thin cover in part of the county.

On soluble rock: 39%
At or near the surface: 39%
Buried under cover: 0%

What to do about a house in Dade County

Check the parcel against your state survey sinkhole map, and ask for an inspection if cracks, depressions or sticking doors show up.

That works out to roughly 68 of Dade County's 174 square miles on soluble rock, 68 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 16,068 residents (92 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 522 map points about 0.6 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Counties around Dade County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Walker County, GA, about 14 miles southeast, close enough that the same rock may run under the county line. 1 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Walker County, GA 14 mi southeast · 66% at surface
Marion County, TN 20 mi north · 39% at surface
Catoosa County, GA 21 mi east · 63% at surface
Hamilton County, TN 27 mi northeast · 70% at surface
Jackson County, AL 28 mi west · 60% at surface
Chattooga County, GA 28 mi south · 59% at surface

What Dade County is built on

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Mississippian undifferentiated (limestone), Mississippian in age, covering about 20% of the county. Next is the Chickamauga Group undivided at 10%.

Against the rest of Georgia

Dade County ranks 24 of 159 in Georgia for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 84% of US counties on that measure.