Sinkhole risk in Russell County, KY: Pockets of it

Pockets of it

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

On soluble rock: 40%
At or near the surface: 40%
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 101 of Russell County's 253 square miles on soluble rock, 101 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 18,458 residents (73 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 482 map points about 0.7 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Counties around Russell County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Wayne County, KY, about 18 miles southeast, close enough that the same rock may run under the county line. 3 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Adair County, KY 15 mi northwest · 39% at surface
Wayne County, KY 18 mi southeast · 75% at surface
Clinton County, KY 19 mi south · 75% at surface
Cumberland County, KY 23 mi southwest · 36% at surface
Casey County, KY 24 mi north · 24% at surface
Pulaski County, KY 28 mi east · 60% at surface

The rock underneath

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Salem, Warsaw, and Harrodsburg Limestones, undivided (limestone), Mississippian in age, covering about 35% of the county. Next is the Limestone bodies in the Fort Payne Formation at 2%.

Against the rest of Kentucky

Russell County ranks 53 of 120 in Kentucky for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 84% of US counties on that measure.