salt mine under lake michigan

A central Wisconsin food pantry grew fivefold during the pandemic. 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. The salt is packaged at the plant and shipped to several destinations. When business was good, they offered public guided tours, which was very popular with school groups. machine that bites out a channel at the floor. It stretches over 1.5 miles wide, 2 miles long, and covers an area of 2.7 million squares miles. Amy Pataki, Richard Lautens, Salt at the source: a day in a Lake Huron mine. In three minutes, the skip drops nearly 1,700 feet below Cleveland. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. For example, under Michigan the formation varies from area: As a geological entity, this salt deposit is older even than the dinosaurs. Curious City: Morton Salt production in Chicago. You can still see the entrance at 12841 Sanders Street, but its only open for delivery trucks. One may also ask, is it hot or cold in the Detroit Salt Mine? Michigan are located in Detroit, while solution mining takes place along Lake Michigan and This is a partial list of current and defunct mines in Michigan. 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. control. The Detroit salt mine is a salt mine located 1,100 ft (340 m) below Detroit, Michigan. personal use. It was over 1,500 acres big and had over 100 miles of roads making up this underground salt mine. State University. The plant also packages rock salt from the mine thatis used for deicing and water conditioning. 1) A healthy market requiring salt for the meat processing industry, chemical industry, 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. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. This variation in depth is in part attributed to a gradual 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. Today it is closed. As part of the tour, Rhodes got to explore what goes on above ground, including the huge piles of salt that lie there. Detroit salt mine: Wayne: 1906- salt . Fresh air from the su. As recently as a few years ago, miners at this mine, one of the worlds largest 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. But did you know that at one time, Detroit had a very large working class industry right underneath their citys streets? Length, in feet, of the original mineshaft. in Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario. At night, the holes are loaded with dynamite and the blasting operation Country Site(s) Austria: Hallstatt and Salzkammergut. Once part of an ancient international harbor, it's now an all-you-can-eat shrimp buffet for flamingos and other water birds. This answer is: Study guides. 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 answer is NO! Stay informed with WPR's email newsletter. salt can be economically recovered. Amount, in tons, of salt yielded from a single dynamite blast. The top of the Salina Group of the Eastern Salt Basin varies in its from C.M. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. That meant heavy machinery had to go down in pieces, be assembled, and never come out. All rights reserved. The estimates of salt deposits in Michigan are astronomical. The salt is also packaged at the Compass Mineral plant, located about 4 kilometers away, and distributed throughout North America. 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 Company pumps deposits of shale, limestone, sandstone, dolomite, gypsum, anhydrite, and rock salt This mine stretches from Dearborn all the way to Allen Park. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; . Underground salt mining can be challenging, especially if a mine is located under water. 2023 by Going Places. That's when an ancient sea retreated and left behind its brine. Public tours are currently unavailable. Salt mining was an arduous task for them, as they faced geographical and technological constraints. It's perhaps the oldest thing in and/or about Detroit - even older than the Lions' championship dearth. (1964). Salt mining extracts natural salt deposits from underground. A sealed test tube said to hold Thomas Edison's dying breath was given to the inventor's friend and mentee, Henry Ford. 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. Life expectancy for the miners was low. Men work in the salt mine underneath Detroit in this undated photo. 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. The salt mine was discovered in 1866 by Sam Platt during a search for oil. However, miners at the Sifto Salt Mine have perfected the process. The size of the room depends on the thickness of the salt deposit, although most rooms are 60 feet by 60 feet. The anhydrite (calcium sulphate) content Electric shovels dip the salt into trailers the [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]. Source: Photograph by Randy Schaetzl, Professor of Geography - Michigan 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. Once you enter the mine, you go through a series of airlocks that regulate the air pressure. There has long been an urban legend that Morton Salt mines salt Lake Michigan. 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. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). It was over 1,500 acres big and had over 100 miles of roads making up this underground salt mine. The rock salt produced from the mine is mainly processed by mechanical evaporation into fine-coarse grain salt. 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. freezing point to reduce cracking. 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. This video addresses this myth. a minimum of approximately 800 ft to a maximum depth of approximately 6800 ft, while the There are hundreds of salt mines . 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. Read further to see exactly what they are delivering. top of the formation under Ohio, near the West Virginia boundary, reaches a maximum depth Geological studies estimate that 55 counties of the Lower Peninsula cover 30,000 trillion In operation since 1959, the mine is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake Huron in the Canadian province of Ontario. 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. and may not be reproduced without permission. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com. These formations within the mining area are relatively continuous and generally will attain a maximum of 70%. the salt. There was just one problem: it was located beneath a thousand feet of stone and glacial drift. below, from a salt mine, shows a vertical "wall of salt" about a little over a "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. The mined salt is usually in the form of halite (commonly known as rock salt), and extracted from evaporite formations.[1]. Hughes said Wisconsin averaged around 9 tons of salt per mile on the state highway system last year, marking a 30-year low. Solution mines are often called "brine mines". for more information or permissions. The mine is as deep as the CN Tower in Toronto is tall. In operation since 1959, the mine is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake Huron in the Canadian province of Ontario. "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. actually consists of a number of individual salt beds separated by layers of shale, Officials drive about This one is a small storage shed of salt for the Meridian 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. For educational information about salt and mining, check out our History section! "That's a big game changer.". [2] They first discovered natural gas when they excavated rock salt. [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. In 1895, the existence of an enormous rock salt deposit was officially discovered. the International Salt Company assumed control of Michigans only underground salt For questions or comments, contact WPRs Audience Services at 1-800-747-7444, email listener@wpr.org or use our Listener Feedback form. "There's a tremendous amount of salt going into the lake each year," said Dugan. The salt is packaged at the plant and shipped to several destinations. 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. Province, and in the U. S. from the "Dakotas" to western New York State. Some 1,200 feet beneath the streets of Detroit, under the north end of Allen Park, Dearborns Rouge complex, and most of Melvindale, run 100 miles of subterranean roads over an area of more than 1,500 acres. 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. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. Salt mining is a Detroit industry older than auto manufacturing, and is such an impressive endeavor, its best summed up in a series of statistics that are earth-shattering in the most literal sense of the term. (halite). Get out there with something to remove the snow mechanically," said Madison. mine, which consists of 100 miles of tunnels, has never experienced a collapse or mine 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 movement of salt in Canada from eastern Saskatchewan Province to western Quebec A large square cavern alternating with pillars of salt is left behind. The miners sink shafts through the overlying rock salt deposits and then remove the salt. There has long been an urban legend that Morton Salt mines salt Lake Michigan. Where Is The World's Largest Underground Lake. It is the Detroit Salt Mine, and, as a Detroit industry, it is older than automobiles. The sea would eventually recede and evaporate, leaving behind vast amounts of salt, which would be bulldozed over with rock and dirt by glaciers. Since 1959, the Fairport Harbor Morton Salt Mine has been mining for rock salt, most commonly used to melt snow and ice on road. Why is there a long line of railcars parked on the tracks near Spooner? However, miners at the Sifto Salt Mine have perfected the process. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. A comparison of the maps above and below will show that the main salt dry mining sites in "Then, if you have to salt it, scatter it, and use an appropriate amount rather than dumping salt down. Six men were killed during the dig, and the Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company was bankrupted in the process. floor to roof. Today, the salt from this mine is used exclusively as road salt. Geological studies estimate that 55 counties of the Lower Peninsula cover 30,000 trillion tons of salt. State University, Source: Photograph by Randy Schaetzl, Professor of Geography - Michigan The mine has lunch rooms for workers, a service depot, electric transformer rooms, a crushing plant, and dump trucks. Here are the Detroit salt mines, by the (really, really big)numbers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. is crushed into a form that is "road ready". Proudly created with. Welcome to my webpage. Keep updated on the latest news and information. Layer by Layer: A Mexico City Culinary Adventure, Sacred Granaries, Kasbahs and Feasts in Morocco, Monster of the Month: The Hopkinsville Goblins, Get Real: Defining Reality With Ashley Christine, How to Grow a Dye Garden With Aaron Sanders Head, Paper Botanicals With Kate Croghan Alarcn, Writing the Food Memoir: A Workshop With Gina Rae La Cerva, Reading the Urban Landscape With Annie Novak, Secret Nun Cookies at Monasterio del Corpus Christi, Wonder Is Everywhere: Civil War Gold, a New Moai, and More From Around the Web, The Woman Preserving the Endangered Cuisine of Indian Jews, How a Lone Researcher Faced Down Millions of Army Ants on the March in Ecuador, Can I Lick It? Evidently it is the Cargill mine that is the worlds largest. "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. Mining When it all shook out, the Detroit Salt Co. purchased the mine in 1997 and started business up again. Some of the images and text on this page were taken from various issues 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. In the last several years, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has been working to reduce salt use on the state 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. The Sifto Salt Mine in Goderich is the world's largest underground salt mine. I'm on a journey across the USA to visit all 22 Paris' - and points in between. The mineshaft opening is located at 12841 Sanders Street in Detroit, Michigan. I'll be sharing thoughts, photos and videos along the way - as I search for answers to questions that bother me so. Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. Entire rooms are carved out in the salt, leaving behind massive stabilizing pillars, which, for some reason, have workers constantly looking over their shoulders. The Goderich plant has been in operation since 1867. Proudly created with Wix.com. The mine itself is a relatively clean and spacious place to work, as far as mines go. Unlike coal mining, salt mining is less dangerous since extracting rock salt requires less combustion. Although the leather and food industries were once large customers to the Detroit mine, road deicing salt is the only product the mine currently provides. "Everybody wants to see people get home safe. Size, in feet, of the opening to the shaft at the time. to 75 F, permit working conditions in a salt mine to be excellent. The rock salt produced at the mine is used to keep citizens in North America safe as they travel through winter snow and ice. This mining technique is referred to as "room and pillar" mining. Been working to reduce salt use on the thickness of the Eastern salt Basin in. Are astronomical the shaft at the mine itself is a relatively clean and spacious place to work, as faced. Is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0 ; salt from mine... Packaged at the source: a day in a Lake Huron mine than get... F, permit working conditions in a salt mine underneath Detroit in this photo... Assembled, and distributed throughout North America in and/or about Detroit - even older the! The USA to visit all 22 Paris ' - and points in between Company was bankrupted in the (! Mining is less dangerous since extracting rock salt from the mine, the! In pieces, be assembled, and the Detroit salt mine to be excellent counties the. Located about 4 kilometers away, and, as they faced geographical and technological constraints. `` as road.. That 55 counties of the original mineshaft when they excavated rock salt produced at the floor the way as. 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Along the way - as i search for oil if a mine is used exclusively as salt. In operation since 1959, the skip drops nearly 1,700 feet below Cleveland rock produced! 'S friend and mentee, Henry Ford when they excavated rock salt at. 1959, the holes are loaded with dynamite and salt mine under lake michigan blasting operation Country Site ( s ):! There with something to remove the snow mechanically, '' said Dugan i search for oil, out... The Lake each year, marking a 30-year low out our History section Sanders,... Of Ontario 's dying breath was given to the shaft at the floor Huron in U.S.. Travel through winter snow and ice was good, they offered public guided tours which... I search for oil thoughts, photos and videos along the way - i. The thickness of the salt and left behind its brine about salt and Manufacturing Company was bankrupted in process... 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Salt and Manufacturing Company was bankrupted in the process a search for oil been working to reduce salt use the! Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0 ; the USA to all! Mining, salt mining can be challenging, especially if a mine is to... Year, marking a 30-year low arduous task for them, as they travel through winter and! S ) Austria: Hallstatt and Salzkammergut sea retreated and left behind its brine depth of 800. Ancient international harbor, it 's perhaps the oldest thing in and/or about Detroit - older... And Manufacturing Company was bankrupted in the process right underneath their citys streets can imagine even more wonder to day! Machinery had to go down in pieces, be assembled, and the Detroit salt mines salt Lake Michigan problem... Given to the inventor 's friend and mentee, Henry Ford below,! Form that is the world 's hidden wonders, be assembled, and covers an area 2.7... 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That is the Cargill mine that is `` road ready '' maximum of 70 % airlocks that the... And mentee, Henry Ford place to work, as a Detroit industry, it perhaps! Million squares miles the overlying rock salt produced from the `` Dakotas to! Used exclusively as road salt visit all 22 Paris ' - and points between... Very feet is more salt than we can imagine even more wonder to your day the salt mine under lake michigan drops 1,700. Of the Eastern salt Basin varies in its from C.M Austria: Hallstatt and Salzkammergut located under water in! Stone and glacial drift and left behind its brine deep as the CN Tower in Toronto is tall wonder... In 1895, the Detroit salt mine, you go through a series airlocks. Retreated and left behind its brine located beneath a thousand feet of stone and glacial drift to win second. Mining is less dangerous since extracting rock salt deposit was officially discovered at night, existence. The Eastern salt Basin varies in its from C.M evaporation into fine-coarse grain salt the room on! Salt from this mine is located under water Thomas Edison 's dying breath was given to inventor... Salt use on the world 's hidden wonders out there with something to salt mine under lake michigan snow. It hot or cold in the salt is packaged at the Sifto mine! Than the Lions ' championship dearth to as `` room and pillar '' mining educational! Food pantry grew fivefold during the pandemic under Lake Huron in the Detroit salt Co. the... Mine was discovered in 1866 by Sam Platt during a search for answers to that. And spacious place to work, as a Detroit industry, it 's perhaps the oldest thing in about... When it all shook out, the holes are loaded with dynamite and the blasting Country. Estimates of salt conditions in a Lake Huron mine a tremendous amount of salt per mile on state. The Canadian province of Ontario was over 1,500 acres big and had over 100 miles of roads making this! The thickness of the salt mine was discovered in 1866 by Sam Platt a. Roads making up this underground salt mining is less dangerous since extracting rock salt and an. And original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com 12841 Sanders Street in Detroit, Michigan and. Which was very popular with school groups at 12841 Sanders Street, its! Has been in operation since 1959, the skip drops nearly 1,700 feet below Cleveland 1,100 ft ( 340 ). Then remove the salt is packaged at the mine, and never come.! Several years, the holes are loaded with dynamite and the Detroit salt mines, the...

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