Oct 2014 story: Ft. Bliss National Cemetery undergoing soil study for sunken graves

Concerns about sunken graves at Fort Bliss National Cemetery have prompted a soil study.

Lately, it hasn’t been as quiet as usual at Ft. Bliss National Cemetery. Workers have been repairing sunken graves caused by heavy rains.

“How can we do a better job of taking care of our veterans in the cemetery,” State. Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, asked.

That’s the question Rep. Moody has heard over and over. His staff said more than 1,300 gravesites have been affected over the years, with some of them sinking as far as two feet.

“It’s heartbreaking. I know family members have come out here and have had to encounter their loved one’s grave like that and that’s not easy for anyone,” Rep. Moody said. He has family and friends buried there, and asked University at Texas of El Paso geologists Lixin Jin and Diane Doser to study the soil.

“I think it’s more the soil and the rain no matter what kind of cover you have on the cemetery,” Dr. Doser said in response to whether or not grass would solve the problem.

A cemetery worker said the first thing to do when they notice a grave has sunken, is to put fresh dirt on it. Although geologists don’t think there is a way to prevent sunken graves from happening, they do think the fix is permanent.

So, how do you fix sinking soil? Add more, and pack it in tightly. Results of the study will help cemetery staff evaluate potential changes in the years ahead.

Geologists Jin and Doser don’t believe newer gravesites will have the same problem in the future because the crypts are stronger, have a drainage system in place and have two feet of soil on top, versus traditional five to seven feet.