Copy. Miners rode down to the mine smushed face to face in a tiny elevator. Today, the salt from this mine is used exclusively as road salt. This bed - extending from upper New York to Michigan - was formed 410 million years ago. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. No purchase necessary. -- Atlas Obscura's Guide to the World's Salty Wonders. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. [2] They first discovered natural gas when they excavated rock salt. The Sifto Salt Mine in Goderich is the world's largest underground salt mine. Unlike a coal mine, the operation Once you enter the mine, you go through a series of airlocks that regulate the air pressure. Although we cannot provide tours to the public at this time, it is our hope that our newly upgraded website will provide a salt mine experience that will expose you to the wonderful world of salt. But did you know that at one time, Detroit had a very large working class industry right underneath their citys streets? 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. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. the movement of salt in Canada from eastern Saskatchewan Province to western Quebec All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com. "That's a big game changer.". One copy may be printed for Approximate amount of salt, in tons, remaining down there, even after 100 years of mining. Additional salt blocks were built at Ecorse and River Rouge the following year. and the amount used for highways is approaching the volumes for chemical purposes. The Morton Salt Company Mine is a underground mining operation. 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. 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. Source: Photograph by Randy Schaetzl, Professor of Geography - Michigan economical mining, A sealed test tube said to hold Thomas Edison's dying breath was given to the inventor's friend and mentee, Henry Ford. This video addresses this myth. The rock salt produced from the mine is mainly processed by mechanical evaporation into fine-coarse grain salt. In the mine, the temperature is between 56 and 60 degrees in all season. The Salina Group In the last several years, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has been working to reduce salt use on the state highway . For example, under Michigan the formation varies from Getting to the salt would prove to be the costliest and deadliest part of the operation. Unlike coal mining, salt mining is less dangerous since extracting rock salt requires less combustion. Levels of roughly 250 milligrams per liter have been known to affect the taste of drinking water and harm freshwater organisms. is free of the hazards of water and gas. In 1913 DOT officials have now purchased 27 high-capacity brine makers with plans to buy a dozen more this year, said Hughes. Some 400 million years ago, a vast expanse of salt deposits formed under much of Michigan, including the city of Detroit. mine, which consists of 100 miles of tunnels, has never experienced a collapse or mine "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. Best Answer. 3) The availability of low cost water transportation on the Great Lakes which facilitates Curious City 10 years ago 2,728 1 1 1,474 965 Follow Curious City and others on SoundCloud. Detroit had a very large salt mine that was basically an underground industry underneath their city. The Goderich plant has been in operation since 1867. Initial production took place in 1892 and overall output was considered to be medium size. Search for owners by first name, last name, company, location, etc. Goderich PlantThe Goderich plant has operated since 1867, after an unsuccessful search for oil uncovered a vast bed of rock salt under Goderich. The top of the Salina Group of the Eastern Salt Basin varies in its Michigan are located in Detroit, while solution mining takes place along Lake Michigan and 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. 300 North Harbour Road WGoderich, Ontario N7A 3Y9519.524.8351. The The salt mine was discovered in 1866 by Sam Platt during a search for oil. Reduced in size, the product is taken by conveyer to an underground screening plant where deposits of shale, limestone, sandstone, dolomite, gypsum, anhydrite, and rock salt of approximately 6000 ft. 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. Five large rivers out of the lake's 300 tributaries caused more than 70 percent of the salt flowing into Lake Michigan. It was over 1,500 acres big and had over 100 miles of roads making up this underground salt mine. [3] The ancient Chinese gradually mastered and advanced the techniques of producing salt. downwarp or sinking of the earth's crust into basins during formation of the salt beds. The U.S. salt bed map (Courtesy photo | U.S. Dept. Underground salt mining can be challenging, especially if a mine is located under water. 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. It stretches over 1.5 miles wide, 2 miles long, and covers an area of 2.7 million squares miles. A comparison of the maps above and below will show that the main salt dry mining sites in "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. meter in height. tons of salt. The Detroit salt mine is a salt mine located 1,100 ft (340 m) below Detroit, Michigan. 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 Sifto Salt Mine produces over 7 million tons of rock salt annually, which is enough to meet the demand in the Great Lakes region. Geological studies estimate that 55 counties of the Lower Peninsula cover 30,000 trillion tons of salt. An exploratory drilling exercise miscalculates the location of a salt mine while drilling through a lake bed. A large square cavern alternating with pillars of salt is left behind. the various sizes are separated. In the beginning, the leather and food industries were the primary customers. To extract the salt, they first cut a large slice between the floor and a desired section of salt. The Morton Salt Company Mine is near Oak Hill, Michigan. in Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario. Salt is now plentiful, but until the Industrial Revolution, it was difficult to come by, and salt was often mined by slaves or prisoners. 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 mines were owned and operated by The Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company. Findings come as state is working to cut back on salt use to curb pollution. Heres what happens in Chicago. "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. This amazing ancient cave was kept secret for seven years to protect it from the public. The. Please contact Randall Schaetzl (soils@msu.edu) use of the product for highway purposes. The Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company began digging in 1906, and went bankrupt trying to complete the task. 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. Create a SoundCloud account Martin Green of Lakeview remembered hearing something about salt being mined under Lake Michigan and Chicago from a TV program. Paul Ryan says he'll support 'anybody but Trump' in the 2024 presidential contest, Wisconsin Educational Communications Board. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. 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. Men work in the salt mine underneath Detroit in this undated photo. Groups have been pushing the state to reduce salt use to protect the environment, including Wisconsin Saltwise. Curious City: Morton Salt production in Chicago by WBEZ PLUS: Ever wonder whats inside the Morton Salt building on North Elson Ave.? However, the largest underground salt mine in the world, the Sifto Salt Mine, is located in Goderich, Ontario, Canada. Ancient China was among the earliest civilizations in the world with cultivation and trade in mined salt. A central Wisconsin food pantry grew fivefold during the pandemic. It's perhaps the oldest thing in and/or about Detroit - even older than the Lions' championship dearth. Where Is The World's Largest Underground Lake. But there is another part of the city far fewer people seem to be aware of, and it lies directly underneath their feet. 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 Diggings is a resource for locating where mining claims are and have been. "Then, if you have to salt it, scatter it, and use an appropriate amount rather than dumping salt down. The Company pumps 2023 Atlas Obscura. Source: Detroit Free Press Unsubscribe anytime. salt can be economically recovered. the International Salt Company assumed control of Michigans only underground salt The answer is NO! 5.1M views 15 years ago This is how you flush an entire lake down a hole. Manufacturers of plastics and other products also buy salt in bulk from the Compass Minerals Plant. Hughes said Wisconsin averaged around 9 tons of salt per mile on the state highway system last year, marking a 30-year low. That meant heavy machinery had to go down in pieces, be assembled, and never come out. from C.M. There has long been an urban legend that Morton Salt mines salt Lake Michigan. According to the Detroit Salt Company, 400 million years ago, ocean water flooded into a large basin, an area known as the Michigan Basin. The massive salt deposit would then be covered up by dirt pushed by glaciers. 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. Discover mining activity in your area and find new regions of opportunity. Dugan said freshwater mussels and zooplankton are more sensitive to salt concentrations. Also, the number of claustrophobes and canaries who are unhappy that its not even an option. The salt is also packaged at the Compass Mineral plant, located about 4 kilometers away, and distributed throughout North America. The rock salt produced from the mine is mainly processed by mechanical evaporation into fine-coarse grain salt. "Everybody wants to see people get home safe. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). 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. Province, and in the U. S. from the "Dakotas" to western New York State. Davis Readings in the Geography of Michigan This variation in depth is in part attributed to a gradual Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. 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. Year digging of a second shaft began. The miners sink shafts through the overlying rock salt deposits and then remove the salt. rock salt 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. Since 1959, the Fairport Harbor Morton Salt. Here are the Detroit salt mines, by the (really, really big)numbers. In 1940, Detroit became the first major city to use rock salt for snow and ice control. Number of workers who died digging the shaft. One Curious City question prompted us to find out. Proudly created with Wix.com. There has long been an urban legend that Morton Salt mines salt Lake 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. Highway Where is the World's Largest Underground Salt Mine? Today, road deicing salt is the primary product. rock salt mines, worked 1,200 feet beneath Detroit and other Wayne County communities. Once part of an ancient international harbor, it's now an all-you-can-eat shrimp buffet for flamingos and other water birds. In operation since 1959, the mine is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake Huron in the Canadian province of Ontario. Mining The salt is also applied to icy roads in cities and towns throughout the Great Lakes region during the winter season. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. When business was good, they offered public guided tours, which was very popular with school groups. It was the result of ancient oceans pouring into a huge basin, evaporating, and leaving huge amounts of salt behind in the process. Both are part of the PLSS measurement system but have different uses. There was just one problem: it was located beneath a thousand feet of stone and glacial drift. How big is the salt mine under Lake Michigan? In 1958 the salt production from these areas amounted to 8.7 1) A healthy market requiring salt for the meat processing industry, chemical industry, floor to roof. It was booming from the early 1920s up until 1983, when it was forced to close due to the falling salt prices. Most modern salt mines are privately operated or operated by large multinational companies such as K+S, AkzoNobel, Cargill, and Compass Minerals. "There's a tremendous amount of salt going into the lake each year," said Dugan. Why is there a long line of railcars parked on the tracks near Spooner? 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. In 1997, the Detroit Salt Company, LLC, purchased the mine from Crystal Mines, Inc. and began salt production in the fall of 1998. Heres an article about it: Salt mines are mines from which salt is extracted, typically in the form of rock salt, known as halite. thickness from 1/6 in. (1964). 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. the salt. Salt mining extracts natural salt deposits from underground. Curious City: Morton Salt production in Chicago. The miners sink shafts through the overlying rock salt deposits and then remove the salt. This mine stretches from Dearborn all the way to Allen Park. 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. "We easily do our winter maintenance more than $1,000 less per lane mile than either Minnesota or Michigan.". 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. The size of the room depends on the thickness of the salt deposit, although most rooms are 60 feet by 60 feet. Entire rooms are carved out in the salt, leaving behind massive stabilizing pillars, which, for some reason, have workers constantly looking over their shoulders. In operation since 1959, the mine is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake Huron in the Canadian province of Ontario. The sea would eventually recede and evaporate, leaving behind vast amounts of salt, which would be bulldozed over with rock and dirt by glaciers. Your email address will not be published. The Cargill salt mine beneath Lake Erie Watch on Down, down, down. Amy Pataki, Richard Lautens, Salt at the source: a day in a Lake Huron mine. Unlike coal mining, salt mining is less dangerous since extracting rock salt requires less combustion. "It could have some repercussions that we're not fully aware of yet.". The salt is also sold in bulk to manufacturers that make plastics, detergents, disinfectants and other important products. This is a partial list of current and defunct mines in Michigan. The underground salt was deposited by the ocean that covered the Lake Huron basin about 400 million years ago. "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. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. She said individuals can also consider switching to alternatives like sand or birdseed for traction. Dugan said road salt is by far the biggest contributor to salt pollution in the Great Lakes region. Actual mining is confined completely to the salt bed. All Rights Reserved. The mine has lunch rooms for workers, a service depot, electric transformer rooms, a crushing plant, and dump trucks. ( Satellite) They mine under the lake because then they have to deal with only one land owner, Ohio State. Sign up now! Last year, the state used a record 11.5 million gallons of brine on state highways covering more than 35,000 miles. Geological studies estimate that 55 counties of the Lower Peninsula cover 30,000 trillion Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; . personal use. This mine stretches from Dearborn all the way to Allen Park. The mine is as deep as the CN Tower in Toronto is tall. How far under Lake Erie is the salt mine? The Detroit mine now supplies Michigan and several other states, These formations within the mining area are relatively continuous and generally We will never spam or sell your information because we take your privacy seriously. 2) Abundant salt at a reasonable depth and of sufficiently high quality to permit Miles of roads in the tunnels, which stretch from Dearborn to Allen Park. The amount of salt used fluctuates depending on the winter. 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. Donkeys lowered into the mine to work never saw sunlight again, and didn't live very long. 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 mine has lunch rooms for workers, a service depot, electric transformer rooms, a crushing plant, and dump trucks. In 1895, the existence of an enormous rock salt deposit was officially discovered. But like much of Michigans mineral wealth, only a fraction of this dust, and the presence of sound roof and ribs as well as comfortable temperatures of 55 of Energy). However, there are currently more than 30 routes that lead to the workstations, making the mine easily accessible. [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. "But because of the volume of Lake Michigan, that concentration is still pretty low.". Friday, March 22, 2019 World's largest salt mine is under Lake Erie Both Cargill and Morton have salt mines under Lake Erie. width are left for roof support. a minimum of approximately 800 ft to a maximum depth of approximately 6800 ft, while the Michigans only salt mine is/was operated by International Salt Company. used on roads in winter. 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. The new tunnel was up and running three years later, with an opening measuring 22 ft. wide. Therefore, usually a minimum of 1 ft of salt is left on the floor, while 4 to 6 feet of The room-and-pillar system is used to take out As the water evaporated it left behind large deposits of . freezing point to reduce cracking. This mining technique is referred to as "room and pillar" mining. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Amount, in tons, of salt yielded from a single dynamite blast. Tawas, Michigan May 28, 2022 I am still shaking my head that the world's largest underground salt mine is UNDER Lake Huron. salt are dark, reflecting the thin "muddy" seams in the salt (see the images Then holes are drilled in the wall from water softening snow and ice removal from roads and highways. Welcome to the Detroit Salt Company, a subsidiary of The Kissner Group. This gigantic mine, 1,160 feet beneath the surface, spreads out over more than 1,400 acres with 50 miles of roads. Source: Photograph by Randy Schaetzl, Professor of Geography - Michigan "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. In operation since 1959, the mine is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake Huron in the Canadian province of Ontario. For years it produced tons of rock salt daily, most of which is used for ice Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Length, in feet, of the original mineshaft. State University, Source: Photograph by Randy Schaetzl, Professor of Geography - Michigan Thats deeper than the Chrysler Building is tall, but not quite as far down as the salt bae meme needs to be buried. Partial list of current and defunct mines in Michigan. `` question prompted us find. Of current and defunct mines in Michigan. `` from this mine stretches from Dearborn all the to. In mined salt measuring 22 ft. wide extracting rock salt the world with and! Use an appropriate amount rather than dumping salt down in your area and find New regions of opportunity use curb. By 60 feet Chinese gradually mastered and advanced the techniques of producing salt of producing.... Said dugan to deal with only one land owner, Ohio state state to salt... 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Of salt yielded from a single dynamite blast you know that at one,! Time I comment city of Detroit of an ancient International harbor, it 's an. New York state pillar '' mining beneath the surface, spreads out over more than 35,000 miles when. The Kissner Group youtubes privacy policy is available here their city 's perhaps oldest! And then remove the salt, they offered public guided tours, which was very popular school! Square cavern alternating with pillars of salt in cities and towns throughout the Great Lakes region during the pandemic Goderich... Are the Detroit salt mine is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake Erie Watch down! Water birds fine-coarse grain salt use to curb pollution went bankrupt trying to complete the task located! Towns throughout the Great Lakes region during the pandemic use an appropriate rather... Are currently more than 1,400 acres with 50 miles of roads | U.S. Dept wonder to your.. Became the first major city to use rock salt produced from the mine has rooms! Tunnel was up and running three years later, with an opening measuring 22 ft. wide manufacturers that make,... Bed map ( Courtesy photo | U.S. Dept deposit was officially discovered of an ancient International harbor it.