Close call with sink hole

[Jeff244]

I was moving some clay today from an old pile to a pond that I was working on. At the end of the day, I noticed a hole where I was driving all day. I got out and looked at it, it was about 2'or 3' at the top and about 12' diameter inside. The is a pile of dirt in the middle thats about 4' below ground level and it tapers to about 10' or more below ground level. Plus, there are cave like holes on 2 sides of the hole. I can't tell how far they go, I was too scared to get too far into the hole to look.

Anyone know who I can call about this? I think that this is an old mine area. Is there a government agency that I can call to figure out what to do? For now, I am going to block off a large area around the sinkhole.

Here are a couple of pictures, they would be better, but as I said, I was really nervous around the hole.

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[Dmace]

Wow! That's crazy!

Around here we have a company called Dig Safe that has access to all the old underground utility, well, mine, drainage, etc... plans and can tell you where it is safe to dig before hand. I would contact the local code officer to see if they know of a contact like that.

 

[horse7]

I've seen little ones like that where underground flowing water eats away the earth below, till the top caves in.

They are exactly like that-- small hole on top, big space down below, sometimes a pile below the hole where the roof fell in. Usually they seem surprisingly strong around the edges but that probably varies with soil type.

Of course in limestone areas they have 'real' sinkholes... still flowing water, but a bit different than the shallow holes I've seen locally.

 

[Defective]

Holy Crap!!!

Giant mutant gophers...

 

[ToadHill]

Maybe you've located Blackbeards lost treasure.

 

[em14]

You are very lucky you and your tractor didn't get swallowed up by those sink holes ... you should get hold of your city/county Engineer or a Geologist... Do this soon so that the size and location of this thing can be laid out. And if I were you I would stay out of them until more is known …
Leo

 

[actionaj]

Being from Southern Illinois it might be related to mine subsidence. I would give IDNR a call I am sure they would be interested. There are sink holes all around where I live due to old mines. I have two pipes sticking out of the ground in my pasture that go down about 400' to a mine shaft. They used them to pump water out and into the creek back in the 1930's.

 

[Rara Avis]

Maybe you've located Blackbeards lost treasure.

Nice try...
Oak Island - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Jeff244]

I called the Illinois DNR-Office of Mines and Minerals today. They are sending someone out to look at it next week. They said the paper work is started and I will be on a list for them to come out and fix it. The only problem is that they said it will take 3 to 4 years. If the sinkhole was close to the house, they would be here in 3 or 4 months. I am going to see if he has access to some mining maps that would show any mines on the property.

Horse7, the County Engineer did mention that there is limestone in the area as you mentioned, but I think it's from an old mine.

Em14, I keep going over different scenarios in my mind regarding the sinkhole, I can't believe that I didn't even notice it when it happened.

Actionaj, I believe it is from an old mine. The clay pile I was using looks like a spoils pile, it's about 200 or 300 yards and it has huge trees growing in it so it must be over 50 years old. There is also a large 60' or so circular area next to it that looks like it was dug out years ago.
You mentioned some pipes sticking up, I found one in another area of my property. It looks like a 4" metal pipe. I dropped some rocks in it and it takes several seconds for them to hit bottom and I can them hit water. I also noticed that there is an area next to the pipe that has eroded away, but I can't tell how deep it is. I will ask the guy from the DNR to look at it when he's here.

Jeff

 

[Foothill Rancher]

I had one similar to yours but was about 3 ft around, it was in an irrigated pasture that I had played in when I was a kid and just below my mothers house. It opened up with a 12 in hole and kept growing. I started putting rocks,dirt,anything that I could find to block off one side of the hole. As luck would have it our town sewer dept. needed to replace a line about 10 ft away from it, they graded dirt and put some rock in then compacted it, it hasn't reopened in about five years now, but I do keep an eye on it. we had many mines in our area from the 1800's and every now and then a tunnel will start to sink.