Sinkhole risk in Independence County, AR: Pockets of it

Pockets of it

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

On soluble rock: 41%
At or near the surface: 41%
Buried under cover: 0%

What this means before you buy

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 310 of Independence County's 764 square miles on soluble rock, 310 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 38,345 residents (50 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 293 map points about 1.6 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Counties around Independence County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Sharp County, AR, about 31 miles north, close enough that the same rock may run under the county line. 2 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Jackson County, AR 21 mi southeast · 0% at surface
Cleburne County, AR 27 mi west · 0% at surface
Sharp County, AR 31 mi north · 100% at surface
Izard County, AR 32 mi northwest · 100% at surface
Lawrence County, AR 33 mi northeast · 37% at surface
Stone County, AR 34 mi west · 39% at surface

What Independence County is built on

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Boone Formation (limestone), Early Mississippian- Meramecian to Osagean in age, covering about 11% of the county. Next is the Cason Shale and Fernvale Limestone (Upper Ordovician) and Kimmswick Limestone, Plattin Limestone, and Joachim Dolomite (Middle Ordovician) at 10%.

Against the rest of Arkansas

Independence County ranks 12 of 75 in Arkansas for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 84% of US counties on that measure.