How To Deal With A Sinkhole

Q: I have a sinkhole in my front lawn. It is 12 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 1foot
deep. What is the best way to deal with this? 

A: If the grass is healthy, you can remove it in strips that have at least 1 inch
of soil on the roots. Store the strips in a shady place until you repair the
sinkhole. Inspect it carefully to determine if the problem was caused by buried
debris which has decayed. Use a long rod to probe the sinkhole to determine how
deep and wide the hole actually is. Look for traces of decayed trees or
building materials. A sinkhole as big as you describe will probably require a
professional to fix it. If you want to do it yourself, call 811 before digging to
make sure there are no buried utility lines. Dig the entire sunken area down
and out to undisturbed earth. When the cavity is empty, add loose fill dirt in
10-inch layers. Pack the soil firmly after each 10-inch layer to prevent future
settling. Failure to pack the entire cavity could cause another sinkhole in the
future.