PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – A depression opened in the Spring Haven Boulevard area of Pasco County on Monday.
According to Pasco County Fire Rescue, the depression opened on Little Road in the area of Spring Haven Boulevard, near Walmart.
The Pasco County Emergency Management team is currently investigating the hole which now measures about 20 feet in diameter. Officials estimate it is about 35 feet deep.
Andrew Fossa is the Pasco County Emergency Management Director. Not being a scientist, he’s careful not to call this a sinkhole. But he says it does have some interesting characteristics.
“It’s still forming and is still getting bigger as we speak,” said Fossa. “This one has opened up to the point that it actually has a throat in it and you can actually see the aquifer down below in the water line.”
A crew from the University of South Florida arrived mid afternoon to take video of the depression for their analysis. Dr. Lori Collins is the co-Director of the Digital Heritage and Humanities Collections at the university. She explains the data she and her team collect is checked out and then shared with the county and the public.
“Part of the work we’ve been doing here is creating a geographic information system approach to all of the Pasco County sites,” said Dr. Collins. “So we’re working with Pasco with all of the data that they collect, and we’re also combining that with a lot of historical information that we have. ”
Spring Haven Drive is closed to keep residents safe.
Kelly Heft lives on Spring Haven Drive and doesn’t seem concerned. “I know they just did some work on my building,” said Heft. “So I’m not really concerned about my building. “
There are currently no structures in danger and local detours are in place for residents.
