Landslide Hazard Mapping Update

Jackson County Planning Board

April 14, 2011

A. Overview of work completed from 2/22/201 through 4/8/2011. NCGS staff briefed
Planning Board on 2/8/11. Field work began on 2/22/2011 and initially concentrated on
sites indentified by Robby Shelton. Field crews are now conducting routine mapping at
various locations in the county several days a week.

Mapping Summary
Total Number of landslides documented in field: 40
Accompanied by Robby Shelton: 19
Field Crews Only: 21
Landslides on unmodified slopes 15
Landslides on modified slopes 25
Total field data collection locations: 231

B. Major issues. No major issues with work progress have been identified to date. Given the
extent of steep slopes in the County, the number of slope movements and slope movement
deposits identified to date is not surprising.

C. Things anticipated/not anticipated. An embankment failure/debris flow associated with

acid-producing rock at the Mountain Heritage development is not unlike similar occurrences
with acid-producing rock in Macon, Haywood and Swain Counties. As hoped, field crews
have been able to confirm debris flow sites on the ground that were identified from 1953
aerial photography.

D. Information or assistance needed from Planning Board. Cooperation and interest from
County staff, especially Gerald Green, Robby Shelton and Kevin Jamison has greatly
facilitated the project. Field guidance and historical information on landslides provided by
Robby Shelton has been a great help in expediting the mapping and data collection. Thanks
to Kevin Jamison who provided the new 2010 ortho-imagery on 4/11/2011. Identification
of any areas of concern within the County will help prioritize sites for field visits.

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Notes on Selected Sites Investigated to Date

Active, Slow-Moving Landslides

Sutton Road weathered-rock slide: Past slide movement affected outbuilding and driveway on
upper slope. Continued movement could potentially affect homes at the toe of the slope.

Figure 1. Preliminary map showing the outline of the slow-moving landslide in weathered rock. The
shaded area indicates the approximate outline of the slide as of April 2011. Blue dot is a mapping
reference location near the upslope extent of the slide. 2010 orthophotograph map base.

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Ramp Cove Debris Slide: Slide reactivated in 2007 after excavation in toe of older, dormant
slide that had developed in a pre-existing debris deposit. A home site under construction was
abandoned after slide movement covered part of the foundation excavation for a new house.
Residences below toe of active slide currently not affected by slide activity.

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Figure 2. Preliminary map showing a landslide developed in pre-existing debris deposits in Ramp Cove.
The shaded area shows the approximate extent of the active slide as of March 2011. Ground rupture
lines outside of the shaded area show the approximate locations of inactive scarps indicating the
presence of a feature interpreted as an older, now dormant, debris slide also within pre-existing debris
deposits. Yellow dots are mapping reference locations near the upslope extents of the slides. 2010
orthophotograph map base.

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Green Gables Development: Cut slope failure in debris deposit affecting property, but not
immediately threatening residence.

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Tuckaway - U.S.281 Debris Slide: Cracks observed in embankment of recent NCDOT road
repair. Active slide mass below the highway appears to extend downslope to shoreline of Bear
Lake. Slide movement appears to be affecting a vacation home.

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Figure 3. Preliminary map of an active debris slide and other debris deposits along U.S. 281 near Tuckaway Road.
Pink shaded area outlines the extent of the active slide as of April 2011. Orange shaded areas are debris deposits
from previous slope movement events. Yellow dot is a mapping reference location near the upslope extent of the
slide. 2010 orthophotograph map base.

Figure 4. Photograph of a scarp (ground rupture line) with vertical displacement) within the active area of the
Tuckaway-U.S. 281 slide. Ground movement has split the tree straddling the scarp. Other leaning and curved
trees in the area indicate slide movement.

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Stillwell Branch (EBCI) Weathered-rock Slide: Initial mapping done of cut slope
failure/weathered-rock slide above a house site. Additional field work needed to assess any
potential hazard to residents.

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Debris Flows, Debris Slides, Debris Deposits

Tilley Creek Debris Flow: 1973(?) debris flow that damaged cabin. The run out zone of the
debris flow is on an older debris fan surface. The debris flow appears to have initiated on an
unmodified (“natural”) slope.

Figure 5. Map showing the path or track (pink shaded area) of a 1973(?) debris flow that damaged a
cabin near Tilley Creek Road. The cabin was abandoned after the debris flow event. The debris flow
deposited material on pre-existing debris deposits from previous debris flow events. 2010
orthophotograph map base.

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Kiesse Creek: Two embankment failures/debris flows during Frances-Ivan, in September 2004
merged into one ~4,000-foot long track that impacted Bear Lake Preserve property and
contributed sediment to Bear Lake. Remaining embankment in vicinity of debris flow initiation
zones remains unstable.

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Sheep Cliff-Glenville: Embankment failure/debris flow during Frances-Ivan, in September 2004.
Sedimentation in creek, homes not damaged or threatened. Some of remaining embankment
material at the head of the debris flow is unstable.

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Mountain. Heritage Development: 2009(?) embankment failure/debris flow, and cut slope
failure/debris slide. Embankment failure/debris flow developed in embankment derived from
sulfidic rock excavated from cut slope. Cut slope failure developed in colluvium.

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Dark Road: Home damaged by a cut slope failure/debris slide. Home had to be repositioned
onto foundation and is now in foreclosure.

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Geologic Hazards

Pump Mountain Cut (U.S. 23/Hospital Road): Altered ultramafic (olivine) rock with asbestos
minerals is exposed in cuts and other graded areas. Our mapping will likely result in some
small adjustments to the outline of the ultramafic rock map unit into areas not previously
mapped as ultramafic rock. Two slope failures were identified: a small rock slide related to talc
on planes of weakness in olivine rock (dunite); and a small embankment/sediment pond failure
in micaceous soil. Impacts from the slope failures are on-site. Some additional mapping is
planned for this area to evaluate extent of the ultramafic rock and asbestos minerals.

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