Western Kentucky University

Mapping Caves for Environmental Planning

Institution

Western Kentucky University

Abstract

Within a karst region it is difficult to correlate surface land features to subsurface features. By-Pass Cave is a sinking point for storm water that drains a major urban/commercial area in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The cave is hydrologically connected to Lost River Cave network, which is a significant subterranean conduit that drains much of the city of Bowling Green and ultimately empties into the Barren River, the water source for Bowling Green. A detailed survey of other infeeders that enter the cave system has been conducted in order to identify smaller conduits that bring water into the cave system and other sources of contamination. It is possible, through a variety of interconnecting methods, to create spatially accurate portrayals of all geomorphic features within areas of such complicated land features. A combination of field methods and computer software has provided the highresolution geographic data needed for this analysis. Lost River Cave in Bowling Green, KY has been studied for many years, but current maps used by the city and county for planning do not have cave passage locations correctly marked due to the difficulty in extrapolating from cave entrances. The use of cave radio and accurate GPS units provide increased accuracy in projecting cave maps onto surface maps. This creates a comprehensible and adaptable map that can be used as a basis for informed resource management and environmental planning.

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Mapping Caves for Environmental Planning

Within a karst region it is difficult to correlate surface land features to subsurface features. By-Pass Cave is a sinking point for storm water that drains a major urban/commercial area in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The cave is hydrologically connected to Lost River Cave network, which is a significant subterranean conduit that drains much of the city of Bowling Green and ultimately empties into the Barren River, the water source for Bowling Green. A detailed survey of other infeeders that enter the cave system has been conducted in order to identify smaller conduits that bring water into the cave system and other sources of contamination. It is possible, through a variety of interconnecting methods, to create spatially accurate portrayals of all geomorphic features within areas of such complicated land features. A combination of field methods and computer software has provided the highresolution geographic data needed for this analysis. Lost River Cave in Bowling Green, KY has been studied for many years, but current maps used by the city and county for planning do not have cave passage locations correctly marked due to the difficulty in extrapolating from cave entrances. The use of cave radio and accurate GPS units provide increased accuracy in projecting cave maps onto surface maps. This creates a comprehensible and adaptable map that can be used as a basis for informed resource management and environmental planning.