LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 10, 2021) A project led by researchers from the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) at the University of Kentucky will soon help officials and residents in west-central Kentucky better understand the risks related to karst and mitigate potential damage from sinkholes.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), through the Kentucky Department of Military Affairs, has awarded $293,984 to KGS to develop a multijurisdictional plan for karst mitigation in the Lincoln Trail Area Development District (LTADD).
According to the KGS, karst is a landscape that includes sinkholes, sinking streams, caves and springs. It is formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks like limestone. Kentucky is one of the most famous karst areas of the world, with much of its prime farmland underlain by karst.