More and more, the hazards facing cave systems lie not in the individual actions of adjacent landowners or vandals, but in residential and commercial development. Urban sprawl takes its toll on many natural features -- but karst is particularly vulnerable. Erosion during construction silts up cave passage, and road salt or leaking underground storage tanks pollute cave waters. County planners sometimes cut corners when faced with the expense of extending sewage treatment facilities. Drilling activities may penetrate caves, introducing foreign materials into the cave environment. Since these impacts are underground, all too often little thought is given to them.
Developers were allowed to construct the building at top right on the side of a blind valley which feeds rainwaters into a large cave system (the entrance is near the sign at lower left). Mud and silt deposits are clearly seen on the valley floor, and more silt washes into this cave with every rainfall. This situation continued for months without the developers making any attempt at erosion control.
