Sinkhole risk in Russell County, AL: Mostly deep or small

Mostly deep or small

Some soluble rock, mostly deeply buried or in a small share of the county.

On soluble rock: 3%
At or near the surface: 3%
Buried under cover: 0%

The next step for one property

Sinkholes are uncommon here; watch for new depressions after heavy rain or leaking pipes.

That works out to roughly 19 of Russell County's 641 square miles on soluble rock, 19 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 58,837 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 273 map points about 1.5 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Worth reading for this county: how these percentages are measured, and the warning signs that apply anywhere.

Counties around Russell County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Early County, GA, about 69 miles south. 2 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Chattahoochee County, GA 24 mi east · 0% at surface
Muscogee County, GA 24 mi northeast · 0% at surface
Lee County, AL 24 mi northwest · 0% at surface
Stewart County, GA 25 mi southeast · 2% at surface
Macon County, AL 30 mi west · 8% at surface
Quitman County, GA 31 mi south · under 1% at surface

The rock underneath

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Selma Group; Mooreville Chalk (carbonate), Cretaceous in age, covering about 3% of the county.

Against the rest of Alabama

Russell County ranks 46 of 67 in Alabama for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 60% of US counties on that measure.