SANTEE - The earth opened up in the town of Santee Thursday but fortunately stopped short of swallowing much of it up.

A sinkhole approximately 20 feet wide and 6 feet deep developed overnight Wednesday next to the Bank of Clarendon on Old Number Six Highway, causing passersby to take notice.

The grassy crater didn't seem to bother mowers working with Obvious Lawn Care of Manning, who were busy cutting grass on the property Thursday.

"We saw it when we came up here this morning," said Aaron Dawkins, 13, who was mowing the grass around the edges of the sinkhole.

Bryan Dawkins, his father, speculated there may be "a pipe down there somewhere" in the hole.

David Elliott, Bank of Clarendon assistant vice president and Santee area executive, said about five years ago a sinkhole occurred at the same spot and was similar in size.

Elliott said the previous sinkhole was "a lot deeper but not as wide" as the one discovered Thursday.

Nathan Maiwald, Santee State Park manager, said of sinkholes, "There's nothing you can do about it; once it opens up, you're done."

Maiwald, who's been the park's manager for three years, said his knowledge about sinkholes is minimal but noted he's learned more about the naturally-occurring phenomenon during his work at the park.

He said he saw Thursday's sinkhole but refrained from making specific comments about it.

But, generally speaking, Maiwald said regions around Lake Marion are part of a sinkhole system which begins in North Carolina and extends through South Carolina, Georgia and ends in Florida. He said they occur "when underneath the top layers of soil, the limestone gives way, and that's it."

Several sinkholes are located at Santee State Park, Maiwald said, and they are monitored for changes in size and other characteristics.

"Sinkholes on the park do occasionally grow," he said, adding that the occurrence of a sinkhole can happen overnight.

"A sinkhole typically begins when seeping groundwater or an underground stream gradually dissolves the calcium carbonate of the limestone, creating a fissure, or channel, that enlarges over time," Maiwald said.

Santee State Park and the surrounding area received a "tremendous amount of rainfall" during Wednesday's storms, he said.

"I don't know if that caused the sinkhole. I just noticed it today," Maiwald said.

T&D Correspondent Martha Rose Brown can be reached by e-mail at marfawose@aol.com. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

You must be logged in to comment.