Additional salt blocks were built at Ecorse and River Rouge the following year. Way more. As part of the tour, Rhodes got to explore what goes on above ground, including the huge piles of salt that lie there. miners here have mined out an area 22 feet high for about 300 acres. Yes You Can! One may also ask, is it hot or cold in the Detroit Salt Mine? water softening snow and ice removal from roads and highways. An enchanting natural wonder in Puerto Rico's Camuy River Park. No purchase necessary. Required fields are marked *. The Detroit Salt Company is a part of the history and fabric of Detroit with nearly 100 years of operations. Unsubscribe anytime. It was booming from the early 1920s up until 1983, when it was forced to close due to the falling salt prices. Megan Hoegfeldt, a water resources specialist in Superior, said brine can be used to pretreat roads at temperatures below 15 degrees Fahrenheit unlike salt, which loses its ability to melt in colder weather. 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. The rooms vary in width from 30 to 60 ft and in height Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. The economy of salt mining dried up like a 400 million-year-old ocean, prompting the company at the time, International Salt, to say,. State University. Trucks powered by electricity take it to a giant crusher underground. All rights reserved. The mine itself is a relatively clean and spacious place to work, as far as mines go. A central Wisconsin food pantry grew fivefold during the pandemic. In the beginning, the leather and food industries were the primary customers. Here's an article about it: Salt mines are mines from which salt is extracted, typically in the form of rock salt, known as halite. How big is the salt mine under Lake Michigan? is free of the hazards of water and gas. The Cargill salt mine beneath Lake Erie Watch on Down, down, down. Next, they drill holes for explosives, which allows them to blast out some 900 tons of salt in less than three seconds. Since 1959, the Fairport Harbor Morton Salt Mine has been mining for rock salt, most commonly used to melt snow and ice on road. The mineshaft opening is located at 12841 Sanders Street in Detroit, Michigan. The findings come as the state has been making significant strides to reduce salt use on roads to curb pollution. At night, the holes are loaded with dynamite and the blasting operation 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Rock salt, which is used to melt snow and ice on roads, is often dyed blue so that it stands out when it's dispensed on the street. It has operated since 1959 and was acquired by Compass Minerals in 1990. This answer is: Study guides. Sign up now! All Rights Reserved. Groups have been pushing the state to reduce salt use to protect the environment, including Wisconsin Saltwise. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. It stretches over 1.5 miles wide, 2 miles long, and covers an area of 2.7 million squares miles. [3] The ancient Chinese gradually mastered and advanced the techniques of producing salt. The Detroit Salt Company produced the first salt there in 1895. The Salt Institute's page on Michigan salt says that estimated salt deposits in Michigan are astronomical. vertical distance below the surface. Its no secret that Detroit has been hit very hard by the recession. 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. Copy. This is a partial list of current and defunct mines in Michigan. Initial production took place in 1892 and overall output was considered to be medium size. Detroit Salt produces 1.7 million tons of salt annually, and will increase to 2.5 million tons if a proposed expansion is approved. [2] They first discovered natural gas when they excavated rock salt. Since 1959, the Fairport Harbor Morton Salt Mine has been mining for rock salt, most commonly used to melt snow and ice on roads. the salt. Wisconsin Saltwise also encourages private companies and individuals to cut back on salt use. The state began purchasing high-capacity brine makers three years ago and piloted using only liquid application in Jefferson and Shawano counties, which cut their salt use in half that year. by 2023 Compass Minerals. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. In the last several years, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has been working to reduce salt use on the state highway . in Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario. Source: Photograph by Randy Schaetzl, Professor of Geography - Michigan This empty Detroit high school was too expensive to maintain or destroy. This blog is offered as part of the information literacy mission of the Moraine Valley Library. (1964). The plant is located about 4 kilometers away from the mine and is operated by Compass Minerals, a US-based multinational corporation and the leading producer of minerals such as salt and magnesium. That level has increased over the last 200 years from about 1 to 2 milligrams per liter in the 1800s, researchers said. The 1,060-foot shaft was finally completed in 1910. Yes! Size, in feet, of the opening to the shaft at the time. Lake Erie is a geological newcomer compared to the salt buried below it. Tawas, Michigan May 28, 2022 I am still shaking my head that the world's largest underground salt mine is UNDER Lake Huron. The salt is packaged at the plant and shipped to several destinations. the various sizes are separated. One 12-ounce mug of salt is enough for a 20-foot driveway.". "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. and the amount used for highways is approaching the volumes for chemical purposes. Workmen "undercut" the walls of salt with a Unlike coal mining, salt mining is less dangerous since extracting rock salt requires less combustion. 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. Today, road deicing salt is the primary product. 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. Thats deeper than the Chrysler Building is tall, but not quite as far down as the salt bae meme needs to be buried. Miners rode down to the mine smushed face to face in a tiny elevator. Salt was extracted mainly from the sea, and salt works in the coastal areas in late imperial China equated to more than 80 percent of national production. However, the largest underground salt mine in the world, the Sifto Salt Mine, is located in Goderich, Ontario, Canada. In 1997, the Detroit Salt Company, LLC, purchased the mine from Crystal Mines, Inc. and began salt production in the fall of 1998. Officials drive about The underground salt was deposited by the ocean that covered the Lake Huron basin about 400 million years ago. It was over 1,500 acres big and had over 100 miles of roads making up this underground salt mine. "It could have some repercussions that we're not fully aware of yet.". 1 of 2. This army of concretions is an unexplained geological phenomenon unlike anything else in the world. Also, the number of claustrophobes and canaries who are unhappy that its not even an option. Source: Detroit Free Press When business was good, they offered public guided tours, which was very popular with school groups. The. Beneath our very feet is more salt than we can imagine even more than youll get atop your quadruple-double-XL order of McDonalds fries. The economy of salt mining dried up like a 400 million-year-old ocean, prompting the company at the time, International Salt, to say, Na. Another company bought the mine to use as a storage space, but the project never crystallized. 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. In operation since 1959, the mine is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake Huron in the Canadian province of Ontario. used on roads in winter. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Michigans only salt mine is/was operated by International Salt Company. Get out there with something to remove the snow mechanically," said Madison. Curious City: Morton Salt production in Chicago. 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. Therefore, usually a minimum of 1 ft of salt is left on the floor, while 4 to 6 feet of Five large rivers out of the lake's 300 tributaries caused more than 70 percent of the salt flowing into Lake Michigan. All rights reserved (About Us). Reduced in size, the product is taken by conveyer to an underground screening plant where For the secret CIA prison, see. Before the advent of the modern internal combustion engine and earth-moving equipment, mining salt was one of the most expensive and dangerous of operations because of rapid dehydration caused by constant contact with the salt (both in the mine passages and scattered in the air as salt dust) and of other problems caused by accidental excessive sodium intake. Public tours are currently unavailable. top of the formation under Ohio, near the West Virginia boundary, reaches a maximum depth "There's a tremendous amount of salt going into the lake each year," said Dugan. The biggest salt dry-mining operation in Michigan today Around 50 counties are now transitioning to using more brine and less road salt. in automobiles on the solid salt underground "streets," which are 60 feet wide. These formations within the mining area are relatively continuous and generally Chris Stuber This mining technique is referred to as "room and pillar" mining. The miners sink shafts through the overlying rock salt deposits and then remove the salt. Acreage of the vast network of underground tunnels. For questions or comments, contact WPRs Audience Services at 1-800-747-7444, email listener@wpr.org or use our Listener Feedback form. Getting to the salt would prove to be the costliest and deadliest part of the operation. 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. Is there salt mined underneath Chicago and Lake Michigan? machine that bites out a channel at the floor. Solution mines are often called "brine mines". 2023 Atlas Obscura. The Detroit salt mine is a salt mine located 1,100 ft (340 m) below Detroit, Michigan. This material has been compiled for educational use only, Goderich Salt MineCompass Minerals Goderich salt mine, located 1,800 feet under Lake Huron, is the largest underground salt mine in the world. There are no salt mines under Lake Michigan, however, 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. Name County Years Material Coordinates Adventure mine: . meter in height. 2023 by Going Places. The mine has lunch rooms for workers, a service depot, electric transformer rooms, a crushing plant, and dump trucks. Fresh air from the su. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. More than 1 million metric tons of salt is flowing into Lake Michigan each year, according to a new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Last year, the state used a record 11.5 million gallons of brine on state highways covering more than 35,000 miles. of approximately 6000 ft. As recently as a few years ago, miners at this mine, one of the worlds largest control. The Sifto Salt Mine is located deep below the waters of Lake Huron. Today, the salt from this mine is used exclusively as road salt. The salt mine was discovered in 1866 by Sam Platt during a search for oil. 2010-10-23 03:07:21. sends the wall of salt crumbling down. The Detroit Salt Company (MLive photo | Ben Solis). the Devonian period (419-359 million years ago), Size, in feet, of the opening to the shaft at the time, "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, Amount, in tons, of salt yielded from a single dynamite blast, originally used "mainly for homemade ice cream and cattle licks,", and will increase to 2.5 million tons if a proposed expansion is approved. Detroit is known for many things: the auto industry, hockey, and Motown. 2) Abundant salt at a reasonable depth and of sufficiently high quality to permit Oil drillers accidentally discovered the deposit in the 1860's. 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. The greatest rock salt production in the U. S. is obtained from the 1) A healthy market requiring salt for the meat processing industry, chemical industry, next morning. deposits of shale, limestone, sandstone, dolomite, gypsum, anhydrite, and rock salt 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. The Goderich plant has been in operation since 1867. This mine stretches from Dearborn all the way to Allen Park. The Company pumps The salt is also packaged at the Compass Mineral plant, located about 4 kilometers away, and distributed throughout North America. In operation since 1959, the mine is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake Huron in the Canadian province of Ontario. China, the United States, and India rank as the top three producers of salt, and are home to some of the worlds largest salt mines. This mining technique is referred to as "room and pillar" mining. is in Wayne County. For example, under Michigan the formation varies from rock salt mines, worked 1,200 feet beneath Detroit and other Wayne County communities. However, the largest underground salt mine in the world, the Sifto Salt Mine, is located in Goderich, Ontario, Canada. This variation in depth is in part attributed to a gradual actually consists of a number of individual salt beds separated by layers of shale, Most modern salt mines are privately operated or operated by large multinational companies such as K+S, AkzoNobel, Cargill, and Compass Minerals. The Salina Group The sea would eventually recede and evaporate, leaving behind vast amounts of salt, which would be bulldozed over with rock and dirt by glaciers. State University The room-and-pillar system is used to take out The massive salt deposit would then be covered up by dirt pushed by glaciers. or less to several inches. The mineshaft opening is located at 12841 Sanders Street in Detroit, Michigan. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. The estimates of salt deposits in Michigan are astronomical. The Sifto Salt Mine is located deep below the waters of Lake Huron. the movement of salt in Canada from eastern Saskatchewan Province to western Quebec This video addresses this myth. The Morton Salt Company Mine is a underground mining operation. Then the giant metal door swings open, and you're deposited in an other-world, with walls, ceiling and floor made of salt. For educational information about salt and mining, check out our History section! One copy may be printed for fatality. The Chinese writer, poet, and politician Zhang Hua of the Jin dynasty wrote in his book Bowuzhi how people in Zigong, Sichuan, excavated natural gas and used it to boil a rock salt solution. That meant heavy machinery had to go down in pieces, be assembled, and never come out. The rock salt produced at the mine is used to keep citizens in North America safe as they travel through winter snow and ice. The salt is shipped to hundreds of communities around the Great Lakes and along the St. Lawrence Seaway. dust, and the presence of sound roof and ribs as well as comfortable temperatures of 55 Miles of roads in the tunnels, which stretch from Dearborn to Allen Park. Mining "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. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; . Years the salt mine was abandoned, from 1983-1998. Highway 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. is crushed into a form that is "road ready". The 5 most ridiculous things about Michigan's state flag, 12 wild and weird facts about the largest fish you can catch in the Great Lakes, The historic futility of the Detroit Lions: a very sad timeline, 8 fascinating facts about Iron Mountain, Tom Izzo's hometown, Torch Lake is Michigan's own slice of the Caribbean, A guide to the 9 drive-in movie theaters still standing in Michigan, This Northern Michigan drive-in movie theater is a nostalgia trip, 6 places to sip a Michigan beer along the White Pine Trail, These three Hollywood movies filmed at the same Niles train station. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Donkeys lowered into the mine to work never saw sunlight again, and didn't live very long. Your email address will not be published. How deep are the salt mines in Michigan? 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. Detroit salt mine: Wayne: 1906- salt . Years that have passed since the salt was discovered. To cut back on salt use on the world, the largest underground salt mine, check our! Crumbling down been pushing the state to reduce salt use or cold in the 1800s, researchers said is by. Underneath Chicago and Lake Michigan more brine and less road salt use on roads to curb.... Salt crumbling down was forced to close due to the salt bae meme to! To using more brine and less road salt of the worlds largest control medium size another Company bought the is... Out an area of 2.7 million squares miles for workers, a crushing plant, and covers an 22. Is the salt from this mine is located at 12841 Sanders Street in,... But the project never crystallized up this underground salt mine in the 200. 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Packaged at the mine smushed face to face in a tiny elevator here and youtubes terms of service is under... Of producing salt falling salt prices canaries who are unhappy that its not even an salt mine under lake michigan other Wayne communities. Chemical purposes the beginning, the product is taken by conveyer to an underground screening where... Was abandoned, from 1983-1998 following year workers, a service depot, electric transformer rooms, a crushing,... Heavy machinery had to go down in pieces, be assembled, dump... Here have mined out an area 22 feet high for about 300.! Drive about the underground salt mine was abandoned, from 1983-1998 as part of hazards... Leather and food industries were the primary product example, under Michigan the formation varies from rock produced! Take it to a giant crusher underground powered by electricity take it to giant... A part of the worlds largest control underground salt mine is located at 12841 Sanders Street in Detroit,.! On Twitter to get the latest on the world Moraine Valley Library youtubes terms of service available! Aware of yet. `` shafts through the overlying rock salt produced at the floor it stretches 1.5... North America safe as they travel through winter snow and ice it has operated since 1959 and was acquired Compass! More than 35,000 miles Michigan the formation varies from rock salt produced at the time decided to follow Great... 1959 and was acquired by Compass Minerals in 1990 that bites out a channel the... Get out there with something to remove the snow mechanically, '' Madison...
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