Sinkhole risk in Deschutes 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 to do about a house in Deschutes County

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

Across 3,018 square miles, under one square mile of Deschutes County maps onto soluble rock. With about 211,535 residents (70 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 539 map points about 2.4 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 Deschutes County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Emery County, UT, about 640 miles southeast. 5 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band, so this is a regional pattern rather than a local quirk.

Crook County, OR 46 mi east · 0% at surface
Jefferson County, OR 50 mi north · 2% at surface
Linn County, OR 76 mi northwest · 0% at surface
Wheeler County, OR 82 mi northeast · 0% at surface
Lane County, OR 83 mi west · 0% at surface
Wasco County, OR 86 mi north · 0% at surface

Against the rest of Oregon

Deschutes County ranks 19 of 36 in Oregon for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 0% of US counties on that measure.