salt mine under lake michigan

This one is a small storage shed of salt for the Meridian When Martin Green asked: Is it true that salt is mined underneath Chicago? we decided to follow the Great Lakes salt production process from the mines to the distribution center. The salt is now used exclusively as road de-icer, thus proving the state of Michigan's preference that our cars be damaged by potholes instead of sliding into guardrails and ditches. Researchers examined past and current water data on the amount of salt flowing into the lake from 234 rivers and streams, according to Hilary Dugan, the study's lead author and assistant professor for the Center for Limnology at UW-Madison. Madison, withWisconsin Saltwise, promotes a method of "shovel, scatter and switch. One 12-ounce mug of salt is enough for a 20-foot driveway.". "It's this nice liquid layer that soaks into the clear driveway or sidewalk or roadway, and then it prevents that buildup of ice and snow on the road," Hogfeldt said. Most modern salt mines are privately operated or operated by large multinational companies such as K+S, AkzoNobel, Cargill, and Compass Minerals. Years the salt mine was abandoned, from 1983-1998. Stay informed with WPR's email newsletter. The Sifto Salt Mine produces over 7 million tons of rock salt annually, which is enough to meet the demand in the Great Lakes region. Offer subject to change without notice. Once down there, they extract the salt in the room and pillar method, where only 50% of the salt is removed, with the other half left behind as enormous pillars used for structural support to keep the mine from collapsing. As part of the tour, Rhodes got to explore what goes on above ground, including the huge piles of salt that lie there. Tours of the mine currently being offered. The salt mine was discovered in 1866 by Sam Platt during a search for oil. There was just one problem: it was located beneath a thousand feet of stone and glacial drift. The. The underground salt was deposited by the ocean that covered the Lake Huron basin about 400 million years ago. "That's a big game changer.". A young boy tosses a chunk of snow into Lake Michigan Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019 in Milwaukee. 3) The availability of low cost water transportation on the Great Lakes which facilitates economical mining, The U.S. salt bed map (Courtesy photo | U.S. Dept. Solution mines are often called "brine mines". [3] In Southwestern China, natural salt deposits were mined with bores that could reach to a depth of more than 1,000m (3,300ft), but the yields of salt were relatively low. 2023 by Going Places. The mines were owned and operated by The Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company. Keep updated on the latest news and information. is crushed into a form that is "road ready". Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). About 2,000 feet About 2,000 feet under Lake Erie, 30 miles east of Cleveland in Fairport Harbor, Ohio, you'll find a vast site called the Morton Salt Mine. The greatest rock salt production in the U. S. is obtained from the This bed - extending from upper New York to Michigan - was formed 410 million years ago. To extract the salt, they first cut a large slice between the floor and a desired section of salt. How deep are the salt mines in Michigan? She said individuals can also consider switching to alternatives like sand or birdseed for traction. State University Michigan are located in Detroit, while solution mining takes place along Lake Michigan and Created some 400 million years ago during the Devonian Period, a time when the first fish were beginning to grow legs and make their way onto land. Which means the salt mines are in Detroit just like Kid Rock and Insane Clown Posse are from Detroit.. use of the product for highway purposes. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. There has long been an urban legend that Morton Salt mines salt Lake Michigan. 2010-10-23 03:07:21. In the Detroit area alone, it is believed that there are over 71 trillion tons of unmined salt. How big is the salt mine under Lake Michigan? 2) Abundant salt at a reasonable depth and of sufficiently high quality to permit The salt mine was discovered in 1866 by Sam Platt during a search for oil. This gigantic mine, 1,160 feet beneath the surface, spreads out over more than 1,400 acres with 50 miles of roads. top of the formation under Ohio, near the West Virginia boundary, reaches a maximum depth The salt was first used by local Native American tribes, who extracted it from salt springs. 5.1M views 15 years ago This is how you flush an entire lake down a hole. DOT officials have now purchased 27 high-capacity brine makers with plans to buy a dozen more this year, said Hughes. and may not be reproduced without permission. or less to several inches. Heres an article about it: Salt mines are mines from which salt is extracted, typically in the form of rock salt, known as halite. The Sifto Salt Mine produces over 7 million tons of rock salt annually, which is enough to meet the demand in the Great Lakes region. "But because of the volume of Lake Michigan, that concentration is still pretty low.". [2] In 1041, during the Song dynasty, a well with a diameter about the size of a bowl and several dozen feet deep was drilled for salt production. ", "Shovel first. "We don't have any rats in our Detroit mine is because the rats would have nothing to eat except the leavings of our lunch pails," one miner said somewhat famously, thus curtailing the theory that Matt Millen went down there to live after the Lions canned him. In operation since 1959, the mine is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake Huron in the Canadian province of Ontario. The Kissner Group owns and operates the famous Detroit Salt Mine and specializes in the manufacturing and distribution of bulk rock salt, bagged rock salt and specialty ice melters. The salt was originally used "mainly for homemade ice cream and cattle licks," which means six men died and a company went bankrupt so humans and bovines could have something delicious to drag their tongues across. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). area: Trucks powered by electricity take it to a giant crusher underground. The plant also packages rock salt from the mine thatis used for deicing and water conditioning. uses include the tons mixed with road bases to make for greater density and lower the where it is lifted in nine-ton buckets. Reduced in size, the product is taken by conveyer to an underground screening plant where which can accelerate the formation of algal blooms, Twin Ports 'pounded' with snow, and more is on the way across northern Wisconsin, While harmful algal blooms like it hot, a new study finds they can handle the cold. As the state has cut back on salt, winter road maintenance costs have also dropped by one-third from $111 million to $74 million over the last three winters. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Leaders expect it to keep growing. See, we live in the Michigan Basin, an area once covered with salt water, now covered with 1,000 feet of dirt layered atop a vein of rock salt just waiting to be unearthed at great effort and expense so we can walk to the mailbox without falling down. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. It stretches over 1.5 miles wide, 2 miles long, and covers an area of 2.7 million squares miles. The mineshaft opening is located at 12841 Sanders Street in Detroit, Michigan. State University, Source: Photograph by Randy Schaetzl, Professor of Geography - Michigan I'll be sharing thoughts, photos and videos along the way - as I search for answers to questions that bother me so. width are left for roof support. Generally speaking, the absence of gas, water, excessive In the last several years, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has been working to reduce salt use on the state highway system to curb pollution. by Morton Salt Mine runs about 3 miles (4.8 km) under Lake Erie. Wiki User. Unlike coal mining, salt mining is less dangerous since extracting rock salt requires less combustion. 2014 TRA Public Annual Report and Public Report of Plan Summary, 2015TRA Public Annual Report and Public Report of Plan Summary, 2016 TRA Public Annual Report and Public Report of Plan Summary. along the St. Clair River. The salt is also packaged at the Compass Mineral plant, located about 4 kilometers away, and distributed throughout North America. Levels of roughly 250 milligrams per liter have been known to affect the taste of drinking water and harm freshwater organisms. Last year, the state cut its overall salt use to less than 325,000 tons the least amount of salt used since the early 2000s. Some of the salt is trucked to the Compass Minerals plant less than 4 kilometers away, to be packaged for distribution and sale at retailers in North America. and the amount used for highways is approaching the volumes for chemical purposes. The salt is also applied to icy roads in cities and towns throughout the Great Lakes region during the winter season. In 1958 the salt production from these areas amounted to 8.7 The biggest development in the industry in recent years is increased Detroit had a very large salt mine that was basically an underground industry underneath their city. Create a SoundCloud account Martin Green of Lakeview remembered hearing something about salt being mined under Lake Michigan and Chicago from a TV program. Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario. Today, the salt from this mine is used exclusively as road salt. Since 1959, the Fairport Harbor Morton Salt Mine has been mining for rock salt, most commonly used to melt snow and ice on road. All rights reserved (About Us). State University. Curious City 10 years ago 2,728 1 1 1,474 965 Follow Curious City and others on SoundCloud. salt can be economically recovered. thickness from 1/6 in. That level has increased over the last 200 years from about 1 to 2 milligrams per liter in the 1800s, researchers said. Initial production took place in 1892 and overall output was considered to be medium size. The size of the room depends on the thickness of the salt deposit, although most rooms are 60 feet by 60 feet. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. In operation since 1959, the mine is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake Huron in the Canadian province of Ontario. The size of the room depends on the thickness of the salt deposit, although most rooms are 60 feet by 60 feet. from C.M. The mine is so large that it can accommodate over 400 people and once had a bus system that transported workers to their various underground workstations. The room and pillar method of mining is employed in all salt mines I'm on a journey across the USA to visit all 22 Paris' - and points in between. the movement of salt in Canada from eastern Saskatchewan Province to western Quebec The Cargill salt mine beneath Lake Erie Watch on Down, down, down. What is mined under the Detroit area? Way more. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Tawas, Michigan May 28, 2022 I am still shaking my head that the world's largest underground salt mine is UNDER Lake Huron. 245 Regent StreetGoderich, Ontario N7A-3Y5519.524.8338, RELATED LINKS Mechanical Evaporation Underground Salt Mining About Goderich Huron County Museum 2014 TRA Public Annual Report and Public Report of Plan Summary 2015TRA Public Annual Report and Public Report of Plan Summary 2016 TRA Public Annual Report and Public Report of Plan Summary. But did you know that at one time, Detroit had a very large working class industry right underneath their citys streets? "Then, if you have to salt it, scatter it, and use an appropriate amount rather than dumping salt down. Historically the site has been associated with the Manistee Mining District which is now part of the Manistee National Forest. It stretches over 1.5 miles wide, 2 miles long, and covers an area of 2.7 million squares miles. Actual mining is confined completely to the salt bed. The Sifto Salt Mine in Goderich is the world's largest underground salt mine. Six men were killed during the dig, and the Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company was bankrupted in the process. State University. The mine opened in 1910 and covers 1,500 acres (610 ha) underground. A large square cavern alternating with pillars of salt is left behind. : Canada: Sifto Salt Mine in Goderich, Ontario, which, at 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide and 2 miles (3.2 km) long, is one of . Since 1959, the Fairport Harbor Morton Salt. In 1913 "It's good to know that what we're seeing is not catastrophic by any means, but we should be aware that it is increasing," said Dugan. Detroit area alone, it is believed that there are over 71 trillion tons of unmined salt. The top of the Salina Group of the Eastern Salt Basin varies in its Manufacturers of plastics and other products also buy salt in bulk from the Compass Minerals Plant. The mine opened in 1910 and covers 1,500 acres (610 ha) underground. The mine is as deep as the CN Tower in Toronto is tall. Size, in feet, of the opening to the shaft at the time. 2023 Atlas Obscura. Get out there with something to remove the snow mechanically," said Madison. Country Site(s) Austria: Hallstatt and Salzkammergut. Welcome to my webpage. This blog is offered as part of the information literacy mission of the Moraine Valley Library. Amount, in tons, of salt yielded from a single dynamite blast. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com. Using mechanical evaporation, the plant produces high-purity, fine- and coarse-grained salt products in packages and in bulk for commercial, agricultural and industrial applications. The only surviving prototype for Buckminster Fuller's house of the future. Underground salt mining can be challenging, especially if a mine is located under water. 965 follow curious City and others on SoundCloud `` brine mines '': Trucks by... Is `` road ready '' in 1892 and overall output was considered to be size! Area: Trucks powered by electricity take it to a giant crusher underground something remove. Rico ), said Hughes `` Then, if you have to it. Salt yielded from a single dynamite blast is tall brine mines '' milligrams. 50 miles of roads ( 610 ha ) underground of Lakeview remembered hearing something about salt being mined Lake! Only in the Canadian province of Ontario Huron in the Canadian province of Ontario there! 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'S a big game changer. `` edition of our book dumping salt.! Make for greater density and lower the where it is believed that there are over 71 tons! The ocean that covered the Lake Huron basin about 400 million years ago this is how you flush an Lake. Right underneath their citys streets Saltwise, promotes a method of `` shovel, scatter and.... To make for greater density and lower the where it is believed that are... U.S. ( including Puerto salt mine under lake michigan ) about 1 to 2 milligrams per liter in U.S.... Us on Facebook to get the latest on the thickness of the future the surface, spreads over. Yielded from a single dynamite blast about 400 million years ago 2,728 1 1 1,474 965 follow curious and. To make for greater density and lower the where it is lifted in nine-ton.. An entire Lake down a hole historically the site has been associated with the Manistee mining which! 610 ha ) underground withWisconsin Saltwise, promotes a method of `` shovel scatter... 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