FLORIDA GEOGRAPHIC DATA LIBRARY DOCUMENTATION
VERSION 2006

TITLE: SINKHOLES OF FLORIDA

Geodataset Name:       ETAT.SNKHLE_OCT06
Geodataset Type:       SHAPEFILE
Geodataset Feature:    Point
Feature Count:         2816
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
This dataset represents a set of points for reported sinkhole events. The data herein represents reported sinkhole activity but may also contain non-karst related subsidence such as collapsed septic systems, water mains, and/or other man-made features. These reported events have not been verified or validated as karst sinkholes by the Florida Geological Survey (FGS). Verification of the reported sinkhole is karst related is the responsibility of the property owners and/or their representatives. The coverage represents only a partial spatial representation of sinkholes in Florida as most are reported from population centers.
DATA SOURCE(S):                    Florida Sinkhole Research Institute (FSRI)
SCALE OF ORIGINAL SOURCE MAPS:     N/A
DATE OF AUTOMATION OF SOURCE:      20061002
GEODATASET EXTENT:                 STATE OF FLORIDA

FEATURE ATTRIBUTE TABLES:

Datafile Name: SNKHLE_OCT06.DBF
ITEM NAME WIDTH TYPE N. DECIMAL DEGREES
REF_NUM
16 String ---
TRUE_SINK
18 String ---
DATE_ADD
18 String ---
DATE_REV
8 Date ---
OMONTH
16 String ---
ODAY
16 String ---
OYEAR
20 String ---
TIME
19 Number ---
LONG_DD
19 Number 6
LONG_MM
19 Number 6
LONG_SS
19 Number 6
LONGDEC
19 Number 6
LAT_DD
19 Number 6
LAT_MM
19 Number 6
LAT_SS
19 Number 6
LATDEC
19 Number 6
CO
26 String ---
TWNSHP
14 String ---
RANGE
12 String ---
SECTION
15 String ---
QTRSECT1
18 String ---
QTRSECT2
22 String ---
QTRCONVERT
22 String ---
QTRCONVE_1
22 String ---
QTRQTRFGS
33 String ---
QUAD
43 String ---
ONAME
103 String ---
OSTREET
128 String ---
OCITY
36 String ---
OZIP
18 String ---
EVTADDR
88 String ---
OPHONE
100 String ---
SIZDIM
12 String ---
SINSHAPE
17 String ---
SINLNGTH
19 Number 2
SINWIDTH
19 Number 2
SINDEPTH
19 Number 2
SLOPE
19 Number 2
WATSIN
14 String ---
WATBLS
19 Number 2
LIMVIS
12 String ---
CAVVIS
14 String ---
SUBRATE
16 String ---
TRIGGERS
17 String ---
COL_CODE
18 String ---
PROPDAM
17 String ---
REPAIRED
17 String ---
PLANNED
16 String ---
TOPO1
12 String ---
TOPO2
12 String ---
TOPO3
12 String ---
TOPO4
12 String ---
TOPO5
12 String ---
TOPO6
12 String ---
DRAINSTR
44 String ---
LUCODE
14 String ---
LANDUS1
16 String ---
LANDUS2
16 String ---
LANDUS3
16 String ---
LANDUS4
16 String ---
LANDUS5
16 String ---
LANDUS6
16 String ---
LANDUS7
16 String ---
LANDUS8
16 String ---
SOILTYPE
109 String ---
NEARSIN
14 String ---
OLDSIN
13 String ---
OBJECTID
4 OID ---
COMMENTS
254 String ---
WITNAM
111 String ---
WITADDRE
99 String ---
WITCTZIP
87 String ---
WITPHONE
102 String ---
FGDLAQDATE
8 Date ---
ACCESS_
254 String ---
DESCRIPT
57 String ---
SHAPE
4 Geometry ---
AUTOID
4 Integer ---

FEATURE ATTRIBUTE TABLES CODES AND VALUES:

Item
Item Description
REF_NUM First two digits follow Florida DOT county numbering system, last three digits are randomly assigned.

TRUE_SINK Is it a true sink?

DATE_ADD Date added

DATE_REV Date revised

OMONTH Occurred month

ODAY Occurrence day

OYEAR Occurrence year

TIME Occurrence time

LONG_DD Longitude - Decimal Degrees

LONG_MM Longitude - Minutes

LONG_SS Longitude - Seconds

LONGDEC Longitude - Decimal Degrees

LAT_DD Latitude - Decimal Degrees

LAT_MM Latitude - Minutes

LAT_SS Latitude - Seconds

LATDEC Latitude - Decimal Degrees

CO County

TWNSHP PLSS Township

RANGE PLSS Range

SECTION PLSS Section

QTRSECT1 Smallest Quarter

QTRSECT2 Largest Quarter

QTRCONVERT Quarter Conversion

QTRCONVE_1 Quarter Conversion

QTRQTRFGS QTR - QTR in FGS Standard Doc

QUAD USGS Topographical Quadrangle

ONAME Owner's Name

OSTREET Owner's Address

OCITY Owner's City

OZIP Owner's Zip

EVTADDR Event address is different from Owners

OPHONE Owner's phone

SIZDIM How was the size of the sinkhole determined?
U = Unknown/No calculated measure

M = Measured

E = Estimated


SINSHAPE Shape of sinkhole
C = Circular

E = Elongated

E/C = Elongated

U = Unknown


SINLNGTH Length of sinkhole

SINWIDTH Width of sinkhole

SINDEPTH Depth of sinkhole

SLOPE Side slope of sinkhole

WATSIN Water in sink?
Y = Yes

N = No

U = Unknown


WATBLS Depth to water surface below ground surface

LIMVIS Is limestone visible?
Y = Yes

N = No

U = Unknown


CAVVIS Is cave visible?
Y = Yes

N = No

U = Unknown


SUBRATE Substrate rate
R = Rapid

S = Slow

U = Unknown

SLOW = Slow


TRIGGERS Trigger mechanisms

COL_CODE Pre-Collapse Conditions
1 = Runoff Ponding

12 = Runoff Ponding, Grnd. Cracks

123 = Runoff Ponding, Grnd. Cracks, Tilting objects

12345 = Runoff Ponding, Grnd. Cracks, Tilting objects, Small holes, Well turbidity

124 = Runoff Ponding, Grnd. Cracks, Small holes

13 = Runoff Ponding, Tilting objects

14 = Runoff Ponding, Small holes

146 = Runoff Ponding, Small holes, Vegetation

15 = Runoff Ponding, Well turbidity

2 = Grnd. Cracks

23 = Grnd. Cracks, Tilting objects

234 = Grnd. Cracks, Tilting objects, Small holes

236 = Grnd. Cracks, Tilting objects, Vegetation

24 = Grnd. Cracks, Small holes

25 = Grnd. Cracks, Well turbidity

27 = Grnd. Cracks, Unknown

3 = Tilting objects

34 = Tilting objects, Small holes

35 = Tilting objects, Well turbidity

36 = Tilting objects, Vegetation

4 = Small holes

45 = Small holes, Well turbidity

46 = Small holes, Vegetation

47 = Small holes, Unknown

5 = Well turbidity

6 = Vegetation

7 = Unknown


PROPDAM Was structure damaged?
Y = Yes

N = No

U = Unknown


REPAIRED Was sinkhole repaired?
Y = Yes

N = No

U = Unknown


PLANNED Is repair planned for sinkhole?
Y = Yes

N = No


TOPO1 Topography - Flat 1

TOPO2 Topography - Hilltop 2

TOPO3 Topography - Slope 3

TOPO4 Topography - Valley Bottom 4

TOPO5 Topography - Depression 5

TOPO6 Topography - Other See Comm. 6

DRAINSTR Drainage Structures Present

LUCODE Landuse Code
1 = Cropland

2 = Pasture

3 = Forest

4 = Grove

5 = Wetland

6 = Suburban Low Density

7 = Urban High Density

8 = Industrial


LANDUS1 Landuse - Cropland 1

LANDUS2 Landuse - Pasture 2

LANDUS3 Landuse - Forest 3

LANDUS4 Landuse - Grove 4

LANDUS5 Landuse - Wetland 5

LANDUS6 Landuse - Suburban Low Density 6

LANDUS7 Landuse - Urban High Density 7

LANDUS8 Landuse - Industrial 8

SOILTYPE Soil Type Present

NEARSIN Near New Sinks?
Y = Yes

N = No

U = Unknown


OLDSIN Near Old Sinks?
Y = Yes

N = No

U = Unknown


OBJECTID Internal feature number.

COMMENTS Comments

WITNAM Witness Name

WITADDRE Witness Address

WITCTZIP Witness City/Zip

WITPHONE Witness Phone

FGDLAQDATE Date FGDL acquired the dataset.

ACCESS_ Access to Sink

DESCRIPT GeoPlan added field based on ONAME

SHAPE Feature geometry.

AUTOID Unique ID added by GeoPlan

Ref_Num: Reference Number; first two digits follow Fla. DOT
county numbering system, last three digits are randomly
assigned.
Date_add	: Date added to the database
Date_rev: Date revised
Month: Month of sinkhole occurrence
Day: Day of sinkhole occurrence
Year	: Year of sinkhole occurrence Time	:
Time of sinkhole occurrence: 999 = unk; 24 hour clock
Long_dd: Longitude Degrees
Long_mm: Longitude Minutes
Long_ss: Longitude Seconds
Lat_dd: Latitude Degrees
Lat_mm: Latitude Minutes
Lat_ss: Latitude Seconds
Co: County Name
Twnshp: Township
Range: Range
Section: Section Number
Quad: Name of USGS Topographic Quadrangle
Qtrsec1: First Quarter Section
Qtrsec2: Second Quarter Section
Long_dec: Longitude in Decimal Degrees
Lat_dec: Latitude in Decimal Degrees
USER NOTES:
During the QA/QC process, errors of location data were discovered and all data hardcopies were reviewed to ensure
correctness. If errors were found in the electronic copy, then data is corrected accordingly. Certain attributes 
and/or entities convey data quality information. When information to be encoded in the subfield is known to be 
not applicable (undefined, not relevant), then the subfield is valued by a string of "9s"; and when the information to 
be encoded is relevant but unknown (or missing), then the subfield is valued by using a "U" for alphanumeric 
strings or a string of "9s" for numeric data.

FGDL downloaded this dataset from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection website in ArcView shapefile
format.  The Arcview shapefile is not as current as the excel file, which is also available for download from the 
FDEP website.
In the SIZEDIM field, FID 798 with REF_NUM 16-738 had a value of "F".  GeoPlan changed this value to "E"
per communication with FDEP who stated that "F" was a typo.

Sinkholes shown are publicly reported. As such they represent only a portion of all sinkholes to be found in the
State of Florida. Most reported sinkholes come from population centers throughout Florida.

Data was originally collected by the Florida Geological Survey, transfered to the Florida Sinkhole Research Institute 
(FSRI), University of Central Florida, then transfered back to the Florida Geological Survey and has been updated 
approximately every 2-3 months. Shapefiles for point features are generated approximately every year.

THE DATA HEREIN REPRESENTS REPORTED SINKHOLE ACTIVITY BUT MAY ALSO CONTAIN NON-KARST 
RELATED SUBSIDENCE SUCH AS COLLAPSED SEPTIC SYSTEMS, WATER MAINS, AND/OR OTHER 
MAN-MADE FEATURES. SITES SHOULD REMAIN SUSPECT UNTIL FURTHER GEOTECHNICAL EVALUATIONS 
HAVE BEEN MADE AT THE SITE OR INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO CONFIRM THE EXISTENCE OF 
A KARST RELATED SINKHOLE.
GeoPlan relied on the integrity of the attribute information within
the original data.
The Florida Sinkhole Research Institute (FSRI) is still located at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and 
their current director is Dr. Shiou-San Kuo. He can be reached at UCF's Department of Civil and Environmental 
Engineering at (407) 823-2280.

FLORIDA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SPATIAL DATA DISCLAIMER 
Geographic information provided by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), Florida Geological 
Survey (FGS), Geographic Information System (GIS) subsection is provided for general reference, is subject to 
change, and is not warranted for any particular use or purpose. Although efforts have been made to make the 
information accurate and useful, the FDEP/FGS assumes no responsibility for errors in the information and does 
not guarantee the data are free from errors or inaccuracies. The FDEP/FGS and its employees do not warrant and 
are not liable for inappropriate or unintended uses or interpretation of this information. As such, these digital data 
are distributed on "as is" basis and the user assumes all risk as to their quality, the results obtained from their use, 
and the performance of the data. Comments on this data are invited and FDEP/FGS would appreciate that 
documented errors be brought to staff attention. As a professional responsibility, we expect that the FDEP/FGS will 
receive proper credit when you utilize these data sets. Further, since part of this data was developed and collected 
with U.S. Government or State of Florida funding, no proprietary rights may be attached to it in whole or in part, 
nor may it be sold to the U.S. Government or the Florida State Government as part of any procurement of products 
or services. Please contact the FGS GIS subsection for additional information.

Florida Geological Survey
ATTN: Geographic Information Systems
Gunter Building, MS720
903 W. Tennessee St.
Tallahassee, Florida 32304
(850) 487-9455 ext. 153

This information contained in this dataset is primarily used to more fully understand the unique relationship 
between karst and the state's groundwater resources and aquifer systems. It should be noted that not all sinkhole
reports are karst related and that determination has not been added to this database.

Since its inception in 1907, the Florida Geological Survey (FGS) has gathered data on Florida karst 
(sinkholes, caves, springs, swallets etc.). In 1982, the Florida Sinkhole Research Institute (FSRI) was 
created at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. At that time all FGS sinkhole data files were 
transferred to the FSRI. One of their programs was to compile and tabulate this information and convert it 
to a computer database. When the Florida legislature discontinued FSRI's funding in the early 1990's, the 
FSRI nearly ceased operations entirely. After that the database was returned to the FGS and selected portions of 
the information were published in 1994 as FGS Open File Report 58, "FLORIDA SINKHOLE INDEX." The data is
currently available in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and ESRI shapefile format via the FGS Internet web site.

No known accuracy can be reported using this data as some reports only generate PLSS coordinates. Sinkholes are 
not normally surveyed.

No known vertical accuracy can be assumed with this dataset. Sinkholes are not normally surveyed.

THE DATA INCLUDED IN FGDL ARE 'AS IS' AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED
AS LEGALLY BINDING. THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA GEOPLAN CENTER SHALL
NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES SUFFERED AS A RESULT OF USING,
MODIFYING, CONTRIBUTING OR DISTRIBUTING THE MATERIALS.

A note about data scale: 

Scale is an important factor in data usage.  Certain scale datasets
are not suitable for some project, analysis, or modeling purposes.
Please be sure you are using the best available data. 

1:24000 scale datasets are recommended for projects that are at the
county level.
1:24000 data should NOT be used for high accuracy base mapping such
as property parcel boundaries.
1:100000 scale datasets are recommended for projects that are at the
multi-county or regional level.
1:125000 scale datasets are recommended for projects that are at the
regional or state level or larger.

Vector datasets with no defined scale or accuracy should be
considered suspect. Make sure you are familiar with your data
before using it for projects or analysis. Every effort has been
made to supply the user with data documentation. For additional
information, see the References section and the Data Source Contact
section of this documentation. For more information regarding
scale and accuracy, see our webpage at:
http://geoplan.ufl.edu/education.html

REFERENCES:
OFR-58: Florida Sinkhole Index (Document)
Florida Geological Survey, 1994

DATA LINEAGE SUMMARY:
Exported relevent fields from Excel database to .dbf file. Used a DEP Custom Arcview Extension to import *.dbf 
file and reproject to custom Albers projection and saved as shapefile. Shapefile was checked for gross errors 
in horizontal location and corrected.
Process Date: September, 2002

In this process step, database refers to the Microsoft Excel data-file created to maintain the sinkhole data. In preparation for a new database the following has been performed on this database: 1. All data was QA/QC for positional accuracy by running two error checks: a. Spatial join of original data to verify STR and COUNTY information. b. Ensure the data was inside the boundaries of Florida. 2. Database errors were double checked against paper copies of the reports to ensure the database contained the correct coordinates, addresses and/or location references. If errors were found, corrections to the fields were made immediately. a. In the case a specific reference number (REFNUM) was spatially incorrect and was discovered to be in another county the REFNUM was reassigned and noted in the COMMENTS. b. In the case of errors regarding location, LAT/LONG and/or PLSS data was corrected to the proper coordinates based on the Florida DEP, Division of State Lands PLSS layer. c. Location references for reports that were determined to not be karst related sinkholes were removed from the database. 3. No other errors were checked and/or corrected. 4. Once QA/QC had been completed on the database, the database was converted into a dBase IV file, opened in ArcMap, and plotted using the ADD XY tool within ArcMap. 5. The event file was then generated to a point shapefile. Process Date: 20061002
Data was downloaded from FDEP website in shapefile format to GeoPlan in November 2006. The original dataset was projected in DEP Albers. GeoPlan, during the QA/QC process included the following aspects: (1) Changed the filename from Sinkholes_102006.shp to SNKHLE_OCT06 (2) Reprojected data to FGDL Albers (3) Added FGDLAQDATE field (4) Added DESCRIPT field based on ONAME Process Date: 20061111
MAP PROJECTION PARAMETERS:

Projection                          ALBERS
Datum                               HPGN
Units                               METERS
Spheroid                            GRS1980
1st Standard Parallel               24  0  0.000
2nd Standard Parallel               31 30  0.000
Central Meridian                   -84 00  0.000
Latitude of Projection's Origin     24  0  0.000
False Easting (meters)              400000.00000
False Northing (meters)             0.00000

DATA SOURCE CONTACT (S):

Name:
Abbr. Name:
Address:


Phone:

Web site:
E-mail:
Contact Person:
         Phone:
        E-mail:
Florida Geological Survey
FSRI, FDEP/FGS
903 W. Tennessee St., Gunter Bldg MS720
Tallahassee, FL
32304
850-487-9455 ext 153

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/geology/ Muriel.Hannion@dep.state.fl.us Muriel Hannion

FGDL CONTACT:
Name:                   FLORIDA GEOGRAPHIC DATA LIBRARY
Abbr. Name:             FGDL
Address:                Florida Geographic Data Library
                        431 Architecture Building
                        PO Box 115706
                        Gainesville, FL  32611-5706
Web site:               http://www.fgdl.org

Contact FGDL: 

      Technical Support:	        http://www.fgdl.org/fgdlfeed.html
      FGDL Frequently Asked Questions:  http://www.fgdl.org/fgdlfaq.html
      FGDL Mailing Lists:		http://www.fgdl.org/fgdl-l.html
      For FGDL Software:                http://www.fgdl.org/software.html