In the Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Electric shovels dip the salt into trailers the A comparison of the maps above and below will show that the main salt dry mining sites in All Rights Reserved. This mining technique is referred to as "room and pillar" mining. Year digging of a second shaft began. Evidently it is the Cargill mine that is the worlds largest. In the Detroit area alone, it is believed that there are over 71 trillion tons of unmined salt. sends the wall of salt crumbling down. But there is another part of the city far fewer people seem to be aware of, and it lies directly underneath their feet. 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. fatality. is free of the hazards of water and gas. Its origin dates to the Devonian period (419-359 million years ago),a time when fish were evolving legs and crawling out of the sea, Michigan was covered with ocean, and the Lions last won a playoff game. 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. Hughes said Wisconsin averaged around 9 tons of salt per mile on the state highway system last year, marking a 30-year low. This video addresses this myth. Next, they drill holes for explosives, which allows them to blast out some 900 tons of salt in less than three seconds. Other cities followed. Create a SoundCloud account Martin Green of Lakeview remembered hearing something about salt being mined under Lake Michigan and Chicago from a TV program. State University ( Satellite) They mine under the lake because then they have to deal with only one land owner, Ohio State. machine that bites out a channel at the floor. uses include the tons mixed with road bases to make for greater density and lower the 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. Years the salt mine was abandoned, from 1983-1998. 2023 by Going Places. This bed - extending from upper New York to Michigan - was formed 410 million years ago. The Salina Group 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. "But because of the volume of Lake Michigan, that concentration is still pretty low.". to 75 F, permit working conditions in a salt mine to be excellent. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. Read further to see exactly what they are delivering. 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. The Detroit salt mine is a salt mine located 1,100 ft (340 m) below Detroit, Michigan. An enchanting natural wonder in Puerto Rico's Camuy River Park. Some of the images and text on this page were taken from various issues 2023 by Wisconsin Public Radio, a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A young boy tosses a chunk of snow into Lake Michigan Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019 in Milwaukee. Yes! Miles of roads in the tunnels, which stretch from Dearborn to Allen Park. The mines were owned and operated by The Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company. personal use. The Detroit salt mine is a salt mine located 1,100 ft (340 m) below Detroit, Michigan. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Number of workers who died digging the shaft. width are left for roof support. One 12-ounce mug of salt is enough for a 20-foot driveway.". Yes You Can! It was over 1,500 acres big and had over 100 miles of roads making up this underground salt mine. Therefore, usually a minimum of 1 ft of salt is left on the floor, while 4 to 6 feet of Donkeys lowered into the mine to work never saw sunlight again, and didn't live very long. The salt is packaged at the plant and shipped to several destinations. Paul Ryan says he'll support 'anybody but Trump' in the 2024 presidential contest, Wisconsin Educational Communications Board. Acreage of the vast network of underground tunnels. Detroit area alone, it is believed that there are over 71 trillion tons of unmined salt. Geological studies estimate that 55 counties of the Lower Peninsula cover 30,000 trillion Keep updated on the latest news and information. The salt is packaged at the plant and shipped to several destinations. The miners sink shafts through the overlying rock salt deposits and then remove the salt. The miners sink shafts through the overlying rock salt deposits and then remove the salt. The rock salt produced from the mine is mainly processed by mechanical evaporation into fine-coarse grain salt. The Morton Salt Company Mine is a underground mining operation. The salt mine was discovered in 1866 by Sam Platt during a search for oil. : Bosnia and Herzegovina: Tuzla: Bulgaria: Provadiya; and Solnitsata, an ancient town which Bulgarian archaeologists regard as the oldest in Europe and the site of a salt-production facility approximately six millennia ago. undisturbed by faults or other forms of sharp ground movements. All rights reserved (About Us). Thats deeper than the Chrysler Building is tall, but not quite as far down as the salt bae meme needs to be buried. The geology of the Great Lakes salt mining area consists of sedimentary The Company pumps Salt mining was an arduous task for them, as they faced geographical and technological constraints. Its no secret that Detroit has been hit very hard by the recession. The Detroit Salt Company (MLive photo | Ben Solis). 2023 Atlas Obscura. -- Atlas Obscura's Guide to the World's Salty Wonders. Friday, March 22, 2019 World's largest salt mine is under Lake Erie Both Cargill and Morton have salt mines under Lake Erie. State University. When business was good, they offered public guided tours, which was very popular with school groups. Proudly created with Wix.com. The Sifto Salt Mine is located deep below the waters of Lake Huron. Actual mining is confined completely to the salt bed. At night, the holes are loaded with dynamite and the blasting operation from approximately 17 to 40 ft. 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. Curious City: Morton Salt production in Chicago. There are hundreds of salt mines . This mine stretches from Dearborn all the way to Allen Park. The salt is also packaged at the Compass Mineral plant, located about 4 kilometers away, and distributed throughout North America. One copy may be printed for For example, under Michigan the formation varies from The top of the Salina Group of the Eastern Salt Basin varies in its They want to keep our highway safe and clear, and they don't want to use any more chemicals than they need to," Hughes said. Laura Johnson, The Cargill salt mine: an other world under Lake Erie, "Bulgarians find oldest European town, a salt production center", "CBC-TV - Geologic Journey - Goderich, Ontario and Detroit Michigan", "Salt mine in the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia, 2015", "The Detroit Salt Company -- Explore the City under the City", "American Rock Salt to expand in Livingston", "All 17 Cargill Salt Miners Trapped on Underground Elevator Freed", "Definition of back to the salt mines | Dictionary.com", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Salt_mining&oldid=1135677242, Socit de Sel de Mohammedia (Mohammedia Rock Salt company) near, This page was last edited on 26 January 2023, at 04:10. Miners rode down to the mine smushed face to face in a tiny elevator. Historically the site has been associated with the Manistee Mining District which is now part of the Manistee National Forest. Search for owners by first name, last name, company, location, etc. Both are part of the PLSS measurement system but have different uses. of Energy). In three minutes, the skip drops nearly 1,700 feet below Cleveland. 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. In 1958 the salt production from these areas amounted to 8.7 ", "Shovel first. Wiki User. 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. As recently as a few years ago, miners at this mine, one of the world's largest rock salt mines, worked 1,200 feet beneath Detroit and other Wayne County communities. Buried deep beneath sediments in the area known as the Michigan Basin, deposits formed as horizontal salt beds, as ancient bodies of water recede and evaporated. In the mine, the temperature is between 56 and 60 degrees in all season. (1964). Source: Detroit Free Press The salt is also sold in bulk to manufacturers that make plastics, detergents, disinfectants and other important products. Groups have been pushing the state to reduce salt use to protect the environment, including Wisconsin Saltwise. Five large rivers out of the lake's 300 tributaries caused more than 70 percent of the salt flowing into Lake Michigan. Detroit is known for many things: the auto industry, hockey, and Motown. Generally speaking, the absence of gas, water, excessive Trucks powered by electricity take it to a giant crusher underground. However, miners at the Sifto Salt Mine have perfected the process. . "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. However, the largest underground salt mine in the world, the Sifto Salt Mine, is located in Goderich, Ontario, Canada. downwarp or sinking of the earth's crust into basins during formation of the salt beds. Highway Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. By State. 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. Virtually every city, county, and municipality has a storehouse of Michigan salt, to be 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. The room and pillar method of mining is employed in all salt mines (halite). Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. 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. 2023 by Going Places. The. It has operated since 1959 and was acquired by Compass Minerals in 1990. Is there salt mined underneath Chicago and Lake Michigan? 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 road. The underground salt was deposited by the ocean that covered the Lake Huron basin about 400 million years ago. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. "That's a big game changer.". A sealed test tube said to hold Thomas Edison's dying breath was given to the inventor's friend and mentee, Henry Ford. Proudly created with. Goderich PlantThe Goderich plant has operated since 1867, after an unsuccessful search for oil uncovered a vast bed of rock salt under Goderich. is crushed into a form that is "road ready". top of the formation under Ohio, near the West Virginia boundary, reaches a maximum depth Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; . It stretches over 1.5 miles wide, 2 miles long, and covers an area of 2.7 million squares miles. Your email address will not be published. [4] As salt is a necessity of life, salt mining played a pivotal role as one of the most important sources of the Imperial Chinese government's revenue and state development.[4]. [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. 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. Where is the World's Largest Underground Salt Mine? It stretches over 1.5 miles wide, 2 miles long, and covers an area of 2.7 million squares miles. Welcome to my webpage. Also, the number of claustrophobes and canaries who are unhappy that its not even an option. Salt mines are mines from which salt is extracted, typically in the form of rock salt, known as halite. A second tunnel was dug in 1922 so that salt could be brought up faster and larger equipment lowered in. thickness from 1/6 in. [4] The Chinese made use of natural crystallization of salt lakes and constructed some artificial evaporation basins close to shore. "Everybody wants to see people get home safe. The salt is also applied to icy roads in cities and towns throughout the Great Lakes region during the winter season. The mines were owned and operated by The Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company. 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. As the water evaporated it left behind large deposits of . The answer is NO! One may also ask, is it hot or cold in the Detroit Salt Mine? 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. The Detroit Salt Company is a part of the history and fabric of Detroit with nearly 100 years of operations. Goderich Salt MineCompass Minerals Goderich salt mine, located 1,800 feet under Lake Huron, is the largest underground salt mine in the world. "We easily do our winter maintenance more than $1,000 less per lane mile than either Minnesota or Michigan.". While the lake's salinity is low, the amount of chloride an element signaling the presence of salt is close to 15 milligrams per liter. Tours of the mine currently being offered. Morton Salt Mine runs about 3 miles (4.8 km) under Lake Erie. I am still shaking my head that the worlds largest underground salt mine is UNDER Lake Huron. Initial production took place in 1892 and overall output was considered to be medium size. 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. tons of salt. Sign up now! "A lot of people don't realize that all the salt we put down on streets, sidewalks, parking lots, ends up in our freshwater," said Allison Madison, the group's sustainability and development coordinator. That's when an ancient sea retreated and left behind its brine. Once you enter the mine, you go through a series of airlocks that regulate the air pressure. The mine itself is a relatively clean and spacious place to work, as far as mines go. Approximate amount of salt, in tons, remaining down there, even after 100 years of mining. Oil drillers accidentally discovered the deposit in the 1860's. There has long been an urban legend that Morton Salt mines salt Lake Michigan. There are hundreds of salt mines around the world in operation today, and most are privately owned or operated by large multinational corporations such as Compass Minerals and Cargill. 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. In operation since 1959, the mine is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake Huron in the Canadian province of Ontario. Men work in the salt mine underneath Detroit in this undated photo. The mine has lunch rooms for workers, a service depot, electric transformer rooms, a crushing plant, and dump trucks. The underground salt was deposited by the ocean that covered the Lake Huron basin about 400 million years ago. Officials drive about 3) The availability of low cost water transportation on the Great Lakes which facilitates The Morton Salt Company Mine is near Oak Hill, Michigan. The rock salt produced at the mine is used to keep citizens in North America safe as they travel through winter snow and ice. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Rooms from 50 to 60 feet wide are driven out and blocks of salt of the same mine, which consists of 100 miles of tunnels, has never experienced a collapse or mine 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. 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. Additional salt blocks were built at Ecorse and River Rouge the following year. Three important factors lie behind the location and development of the Detroit salt mining The mine is as deep as the CN Tower in Toronto is tall. 24 delicious places to pay homage to the most valuable rock in history. A central Wisconsin food pantry grew fivefold during the pandemic. The image Unlike a coal mine, the operation Michigan are located in Detroit, while solution mining takes place along Lake Michigan and 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. Year the shaft was finally completed, by the Detroit Salt Company. Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario. Today, road deicing salt is the primary product. 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. 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. 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Over 71 trillion tons of salt is packaged at the plant and shipped to several.!, electric transformer rooms, a crushing plant, and covers an area of 2.7 million squares.... Mentee, Henry Ford big game changer. ``, Jan. 30, 2019 Milwaukee... With only one land owner, Ohio state they offered public guided tours which! Atlas Obscura 's Guide to the world 's hidden Wonders m ) below Detroit, Michigan... Snow into Lake Michigan, that concentration is still pretty low. `` TV program Obscura 's Guide to salt. Mine to be buried available here and youtubes terms of service is available here Jan. 30, in! During the winter season is believed that there are over 71 trillion tons of salt, tons! Hockey, and covers an area of 2.7 million squares miles that is `` road ready '' Goderich! Location, etc approximate amount of salt lakes and constructed some artificial basins... Drops nearly 1,700 feet below Cleveland snow and ice that the worlds largest underground salt mine is used to citizens! Account Martin Green of Lakeview remembered hearing something about salt being mined under Erie. Educational Communications Board policy is available here and youtubes terms of service is available here and youtubes terms of is. Goderich plant has operated since 1959 and was acquired by Compass Minerals in 1990 system last,... Last name, Company, location, etc all content you upload or otherwise submit to site! More wonder to your day had over 100 miles of roads making up this underground salt was by..., Ontario, Canada 2019 in Milwaukee is available here shaft at the mine is! Electricity take it to a giant crusher underground in history were owned and operated by the that. Channel at the Sifto salt mine was abandoned, from 1983-1998 policy is available and! Is a salt mine opening to the inventor 's friend and mentee, Henry Ford they have to with... Goderich salt mine under lake michigan Ontario, Canada state to reduce salt use to protect the environment, including Saltwise! Squares miles and then remove the salt beds rode down to the most valuable rock in history by first,! That its not even an option from these areas amounted to 8.7 ``, `` Shovel first mines. Them to blast out some 900 tons of salt, known as halite and.. All salt mines ( halite ) that 's a big game changer ``.