Sinkholes In The Pacific Northwest

By Author: Meise Roc
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There have been a lot of cases of sinkholes opening up in the U.S. over the past couple of years. Just a few months ago in Florida, a man was swallowed by a sinkhole in his sleep and his body was never recovered. Sinkholes are a terrifying prospect because you never know where or when they will appear. In the Pacific Northwest, sinkholes are not as common, but they do still occur.

Sinkholes are caused almost entirely by water. Some types of rock and soil are more prone to sinkhole formation, such as limestone. Underground water carves pathways in the earth, and this erosion eventually causes the ground above a sinkhole to give way, as it is no longer capable of supporting weight. Luckily, the Pacific Northwest is not a region that is prone to experiencing sinkholes, mainly because our water table is pretty low and because the soil isn’t made of materials that water can easily deteriorate. When sinkholes do occur in Oregon, they are usually very small.

Sinkholes can cause serious damage to your property, even if they are very small. In 2012, a sinkhole appeared on a busy road next to the Ross Island Bridge in ...
... Portland, Oregon. Construction crews hoped to have the 8-foot sinkhole fixed up and back to normal in a day, but they discovered that the hole was much deeper than they thought. The sinkhole was caused by leaking stormwater, as is usually the case with sinkholes in Oregon. During 2013, just a few months ago, a bigger sinkhole opened up in Southwest Portland. A garbage truck was driving along when it accidentally opened up a 3-foot hole in the ground. When construction crews investigated and began opening up the hole, they discovered that it was actually about 15 feet deep and 30 feet wide. This particular sinkhole was caused by a leaking sewer line.

Despite their relatively small size, sinkholes in Oregon can be an expensive nuisance. They often appear on busy roads, which can shut down traffic during busy times. If not dealt with in a timely fashion, sinkholes will continue to grow and can endanger your property as well as your neighbor’s property. For very large sinkholes, it is best to call a professional and avoid the area, unless you want to end up like that poor guy in Florida. Luckily, filling a small sinkhole is usually a pretty straightforward process; it just takes a little knowledge about what materials to use. If you have a small sinkhole in your yard, start by marking the sinkhole so that no one goes near it and hurts themselves. Test the sinkhole to see if it is expanding by pushing a rod into the ground around the hole to see if the soil is putting up less resistance than normal. Then it is a simple matter of filling the hole with sand and soil.

Meisel Rock Products specializes in providing the materials that are perfect for filling sinkholes. It is also the best place to go if you are looking for Oregon landscaping rocks. Meisel Rock Products is a family-owned-and-operated business and they have been the Willamette Valley’s number one rock supplier for more than 50 years.

Meise Roc writes for Meisel Rock Products, provider of Oregon sand and landscaping rocks.