Sinkhole risk in Pueblo County, CO: Pockets of it

Pockets of it

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

On soluble rock: 45%
At or near the surface: 45%
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 1,064 of Pueblo County's 2,387 square miles on soluble rock, 1,064 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 169,866 residents (71 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 325 map points about 2.7 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Two things to read before deciding: the signs to look for and how an inspection works, and how these percentages are measured.

Counties around Pueblo County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Clark County, KS, about 263 miles east. 2 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Crowley County, CO 40 mi east · 4% at surface
Huerfano County, CO 42 mi southwest · 23% at surface
Otero County, CO 46 mi southeast · 42% at surface
El Paso County, CO 46 mi north · 2% at surface
Custer County, CO 48 mi west · under 1% at surface
Fremont County, CO 55 mi west · 12% at surface

The rock underneath

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Niobrara Fm (shale), Cretaceous in age, covering about 29% of the county. Next is the Carlile Shale, Greenhorn Limestone, and Graneros Shale at 15%.

Against the rest of Colorado

Pueblo County ranks 1 of 64 in Colorado for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 86% of US counties on that measure.