In three minutes, the skip drops nearly 1,700 feet below Cleveland. 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. The underground salt was deposited by the ocean that covered the Lake Huron basin about 400 million years ago. 2023 by Going Places. It was the result of ancient oceans pouring into a huge basin, evaporating, and leaving huge amounts of salt behind in the process. Additional salt blocks were built at Ecorse and River Rouge the following year. Virtually every city, county, and municipality has a storehouse of Michigan salt, to be The Sifto Salt Mine is located deep below the waters of Lake Huron. The Salt Institute's page on Michigan salt says that estimated salt deposits in Michigan are astronomical. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. The gigantic salt mine is located 1,200 feet beneath Detroit's surface, spreads out more than 1,500 acres and has over 100 miles of underground roads. Nov 23, 2022, 6:47 pm. To extract the salt, they first cut a large slice between the floor and a desired section of salt. : 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. [2] They first discovered natural gas when they excavated rock salt. Search for owners by first name, last name, company, location, etc. Men work in the salt mine underneath Detroit in this undated photo. 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. [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. Detroit Salt produces 1.7 million tons of salt annually, and will increase to 2.5 million tons if a proposed expansion is approved. (halite). Groups and transportation officials have been working to educate communities on the harmful effects of road salt,which can accelerate the formation of algal blooms in waterways. Prior to that, American Indian tribes extracted the salt from springs, and sold it as Authentic Michigan Sea Salt in upscale urban shops, where hipsters paid top-dollar for it, using it for their hand-built artisanal caramel fountains. This mine stretches from Dearborn all the way to Allen Park. 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. 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. Generally speaking, the absence of gas, water, excessive Answer (1 of 3): Cargill Deicing Technology bought the Cleveland mine in 1997. Hughes said brine doesn't work for every winter storm, but it can cut the amount of costs and labor necessary to clear highways without compromising safety. Required fields are marked *. Curious City 10 years ago 2,728 1 1 1,474 965 Follow Curious City and others on SoundCloud. Even though it has changed ownership a few times, there is a lot of history underneath the city of Detroit that most people dont even realize. The mine has lunch rooms for workers, a service depot, electric transformer rooms, a crushing plant, and dump trucks. tons of salt. There has long been an urban legend that Morton Salt mines salt Lake Michigan. Getting to the salt would prove to be the costliest and deadliest part of the operation. The Goderich plant has been in operation since 1867. Tours of the mine currently being offered. Since 1959, the Fairport Harbor Morton Salt Mine has been mining for rock salt, most commonly used to melt snow and ice on roads. Unlike coal mining, salt mining is less dangerous since extracting rock salt requires less combustion. The shaft is considered one of the great engineering accomplishments in Michigan history, but dont say that too loud, because it makes the Mackinac Bridge feel insecure. Your email address will not be published. Today, road deicing salt is the primary product. Get out there with something to remove the snow mechanically," said Madison. A young boy tosses a chunk of snow into Lake Michigan Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019 in Milwaukee. thickness from 1/6 in. Five large rivers out of the lake's 300 tributaries caused more than 70 percent of the salt flowing into Lake Michigan. In the 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. meter in height. It's perhaps the oldest thing in and/or about Detroit - even older than the Lions' championship dearth. "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. Here are the Detroit salt mines, by the (really, really big)numbers. The Salina Group How deep are the salt mines in Michigan? salt are dark, reflecting the thin "muddy" seams in the salt (see the images water softening snow and ice removal from roads and highways. Paul Ryan says he'll support 'anybody but Trump' in the 2024 presidential contest, Wisconsin Educational Communications Board. Dugan said road salt is by far the biggest contributor to salt pollution in the Great Lakes region. Underground salt mining can be challenging, especially if a mine is located under water. Acreage of the vast network of underground tunnels. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The mine opened in 1910 and covers 1,500 acres (610 ha) underground. Unlike coal mining, salt mining is less dangerous since extracting rock salt requires less combustion. will attain a maximum of 70%. The mines were owned and operated by The Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company. See. Image source: Ricky Rhodes Much of the salt is moved from underground to above after it is broken up. 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. the movement of salt in Canada from eastern Saskatchewan Province to western Quebec The Morton Salt Company Mine is a underground mining operation. Compass Minerals' Goderich salt mine, located 1,800 feet under Lake Huron, is the largest underground salt mine in the world. What is mined under the Detroit area? The. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. the International Salt Company assumed control of Michigans only underground salt 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. As a geological entity, this salt deposit is older even than the dinosaurs. Detroit area alone, it is believed that there are over 71 trillion tons of unmined salt. Manufacturing Company started sinking a shaft for underground mining of rock salt. That meant heavy machinery had to go down in pieces, be assembled, and never come out. Create a SoundCloud account Martin Green of Lakeview remembered hearing something about salt being mined under Lake Michigan and Chicago from a TV program. Both are part of the PLSS measurement system but have different uses. 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. 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. State University. In 1913 the International Salt Company assumed control of Michigan's only underground salt mine. area: Findings come as state is working to cut back on salt use to curb pollution. The Sifto Salt Mine is located deep below the waters of Lake Huron. One copy may be printed for The Detroit Salt Company is a part of the history and fabric of Detroit with nearly 100 years of operations. 2023 Atlas Obscura. 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. All rights reserved. in Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Resources and Search Tips blog is intended to highlight resources and communicate helpful pieces of information about conducting research. Our website contains general information about our company, products, and many interesting facts about our mine. Then the giant metal door swings open, and you're deposited in an other-world, with walls, ceiling and floor made of salt. Age of the salt deposit, in years. Hughes said Wisconsin averaged around 9 tons of salt per mile on the state highway system last year, marking a 30-year low. The mine is as deep as the CN Tower in Toronto is tall. This bed - extending from upper New York to Michigan - was formed 410 million years ago. from approximately 17 to 40 ft. For years it produced tons of rock salt daily, most of which is used for ice 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. 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. for more information or permissions. The amount of salt used fluctuates depending on the winter. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. The salt is then crushed, and thousands of feet of conveyor belt move the salt to the hoisting shaft, where it is lifted out in ten-ton loads. Amy Pataki, Richard Lautens, Salt at the source: a day in a Lake Huron mine. 300 North Harbour Road WGoderich, Ontario N7A 3Y9519.524.8351. For the secret CIA prison, see. and the amount used for highways is approaching the volumes for chemical purposes. Read further to see exactly what they are delivering. In 1940, Detroit became the first major city to use rock salt for snow and ice control. The Sifto Salt Mine in Goderich is the world's largest underground salt mine. Way more. million tons or 35% of the combined total produced in the U. S. and Canada. Unsubscribe anytime. One Curious City question prompted us to find out. In operation since 1959, the mine is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake Huron in the Canadian province of Ontario. Heres what happens in Chicago. Thats deeper than the Chrysler Building is tall, but not quite as far down as the salt bae meme needs to be buried. actually consists of a number of individual salt beds separated by layers of shale, Some of the images and text on this page were taken from various issues Again by conveyer, the salt is taken to the larger shaft [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]. rock salt Amount, in tons, of salt yielded from a single dynamite blast. of Energy). I'll be sharing thoughts, photos and videos along the way - as I search for answers to questions that bother me so. 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. The mine opened in 1910 and covers 1,500 acres (610 ha) underground. [3] The ancient Chinese gradually mastered and advanced the techniques of producing salt. Im glad that this piece of history did not shut down and close their doors forever. A large square cavern alternating with pillars of salt is left behind. 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. Communities around Milwaukee, Madison, Appleton, Wausau and Superiorare now using brineor other options to clear roads. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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). 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. This video addresses this myth. This answer is: Study guides. personal use. But like much of Michigans mineral wealth, only a fraction of this Entire rooms are carved out in the salt, leaving behind massive stabilizing pillars, which, for some reason, have workers constantly looking over their shoulders. Sign up now! The salt is also sold in bulk to manufacturers that make plastics, detergents, disinfectants and other important products. How big is the salt mine under Lake Michigan? The underground salt was deposited by the ocean that covered the Lake Huron basin about 400 million years ago. 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. A second tunnel was dug in 1922 so that salt could be brought up faster and larger equipment lowered in. In 1913 1 of 2. 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. of approximately 6000 ft. It is the Detroit Salt Mine, and, as a Detroit industry, it is older than automobiles. The Detroit salt mine is a salt mine located 1,100 ft (340 m) below Detroit, Michigan. Solution mines are often called "brine mines". Most modern salt mines are privately operated or operated by large multinational companies such as K+S, AkzoNobel, Cargill, and Compass Minerals. When it all shook out, the Detroit Salt Co. purchased the mine in 1997 and started business up again. "In a world where everything's going up in price, winter maintenance costs in Wisconsin are going down," said James Hughes, the agency's chief state highway maintenance engineer. Discover mining activity in your area and find new regions of opportunity. The rooms vary in width from 30 to 60 ft and in height of Michigan History magazine and Pollution in the salt flowing into Lake Michigan a day in salt mine under lake michigan Lake basin. A salt mine is as deep as the CN Tower in Toronto is tall used for is... Western Quebec the Morton salt mines in Michigan the CN Tower in Toronto is tall, not. Fluctuates depending on the winter me so for answers to questions that bother me.! Be assembled, and dump trucks quadruple-double-XL order of McDonalds fries state is working cut! Below Detroit, Michigan to 60 ft and in height of Michigan & x27! 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