Approximate amount of salt, in tons, remaining down there, even after 100 years of mining. The Sifto Salt Mine in Goderich is the world's largest underground salt mine. The mine opened in 1910 and covers 1,500 acres (610 ha) underground. Both are part of the PLSS measurement system but have different uses. Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario. 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 salt is also sold in bulk to manufacturers that make plastics, detergents, disinfectants and other important products. 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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. Officials drive about 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. will attain a maximum of 70%. I am still shaking my head that the worlds largest underground salt mine is UNDER Lake Huron. The salt is shipped to hundreds of communities around the Great Lakes and along the St. Lawrence Seaway. 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. The salt is also applied to icy roads in cities and towns throughout the Great Lakes region during the winter season. The room-and-pillar system is used to take out Other cities followed. 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. rock salt The mine itself is a relatively clean and spacious place to work, as far as mines go. The size of the room depends on the thickness of the salt deposit, although most rooms are 60 feet by 60 feet. Six men were killed during the dig, and the Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company was bankrupted in the process. mine, which consists of 100 miles of tunnels, has never experienced a collapse or mine where it is lifted in nine-ton buckets. The Goderich plant has been in operation since 1867. This video addresses this myth. is free of the hazards of water and gas. Initial production took place in 1892 and overall output was considered to be medium size. Life expectancy for the miners was low. Heres an article about it: Salt mines are mines from which salt is extracted, typically in the form of rock salt, known as halite. Required fields are marked *. But like much of Michigans mineral wealth, only a fraction of this 1) A healthy market requiring salt for the meat processing industry, chemical industry, This answer is: Study guides. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. In operation since 1959, the mine is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake Huron in the Canadian province of Ontario. rock salt mines, worked 1,200 feet beneath Detroit and other Wayne County communities. by Way more. sends the wall of salt crumbling down. Detroit had a very large salt mine that was basically an underground industry underneath their city. 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. That level has increased over the last 200 years from about 1 to 2 milligrams per liter in the 1800s, researchers said. Workmen "undercut" the walls of salt with a In 1958 the salt production from these areas amounted to 8.7 It stretches over 1.5 miles wide, 2 miles long, and covers an area of 2.7 million squares miles. Dugan said road salt is by far the biggest contributor to salt pollution in the Great Lakes region. 300 North Harbour Road WGoderich, Ontario N7A 3Y9519.524.8351. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Year digging of a second shaft began. Actual mining is confined completely to the salt bed. 24 delicious places to pay homage to the most valuable rock in history. vertical distance below the surface. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Morton Salt Mine runs about 3 miles (4.8 km) under Lake Erie. Geological studies estimate that 55 counties of the Lower Peninsula cover 30,000 trillion tons of salt. Once part of an ancient international harbor, it's now an all-you-can-eat shrimp buffet for flamingos and other water birds. No purchase necessary. 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 Detroit mine now supplies Michigan and several other states, control. Country Site(s) Austria: Hallstatt and Salzkammergut. 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. Detroit had a very large salt mine that was basically an underground industry underneath their city. Your email address will not be published. Reduced in size, the product is taken by conveyer to an underground screening plant where The size of the room depends on the thickness of the salt deposit, although most rooms are 60 feet by 60 feet. A radical change in salt production occurred in 1906 when the Detroit Salt and See. That meant heavy machinery had to go down in pieces, be assembled, and never come out. 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. Salt is now plentiful, but until the Industrial Revolution, it was difficult to come by, and salt was often mined by slaves or prisoners. along the St. Clair River. Pillar size is adjusted so that the extraction or recovery This mine stretches from Dearborn all the way to Allen Park. Rooms from 50 to 60 feet wide are driven out and blocks of salt of the same In the beginning, the leather and food industries were the primary customers. Age of the salt deposit, in years. It was the result of ancient oceans pouring into a huge basin, evaporating, and leaving huge amounts of salt behind in the process. Communities around Milwaukee, Madison, Appleton, Wausau and Superiorare now using brineor other options to clear roads. Our website contains general information about our company, products, and many interesting facts about our mine. Miners rode down to the mine smushed face to face in a tiny elevator. of Michigan History magazine and [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. used on roads in winter. 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. Unlike coal mining, salt mining is less dangerous since extracting rock salt requires less combustion. freezing point to reduce cracking. economical mining, However, there are currently more than 30 routes that lead to the workstations, making the mine easily accessible. Then holes are drilled in the wall from Friday, March 22, 2019 World's largest salt mine is under Lake Erie Both Cargill and Morton have salt mines under Lake Erie. Yes! The anhydrite (calcium sulphate) content The mines were owned and operated by The Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company. Unsubscribe anytime. She said individuals can also consider switching to alternatives like sand or birdseed for traction. The 80 foot tire which looms over Michigan's I-94 was once a Ferris wheel in the New York World Fair. Yes You Can! "Everybody wants to see people get home safe. How deep are the salt mines in Michigan? The biggest salt dry-mining operation in Michigan today is crushed into a form that is "road ready". 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. Manufacturers of plastics and other products also buy salt in bulk from the Compass Minerals Plant. That's when an ancient sea retreated and left behind its brine. Which means the salt mines are in Detroit just like Kid Rock and Insane Clown Posse are from Detroit.. Unlike coal mining, salt mining is less dangerous since extracting rock salt requires less combustion. State University. The images below show what road salt looks like when it Answer (1 of 3): Cargill Deicing Technology bought the Cleveland mine in 1997. Welcome to the Detroit Salt Company, a subsidiary of The Kissner Group. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Note that parts of the road There is it is a salt mine. One copy may be printed for [2] They first discovered natural gas when they excavated rock salt. 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. Thats deeper than the Chrysler Building is tall, but not quite as far down as the salt bae meme needs to be buried. In 1997, the Detroit Salt Company, LLC, purchased the mine from Crystal Mines, Inc. and began salt production in the fall of 1998. Since 1959, the Fairport Harbor Morton Salt. A central Wisconsin food pantry grew fivefold during the pandemic. -- Atlas Obscura's Guide to the World's Salty Wonders. This is a partial list of current and defunct mines in Michigan. Since 1959, the Fairport Harbor Morton Salt Mine has been mining for rock salt, most commonly used to melt snow and ice on road. actually consists of a number of individual salt beds separated by layers of shale, An enchanting natural wonder in Puerto Rico's Camuy River Park. 2023 by Going Places. 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. to 75 F, permit working conditions in a salt mine to be excellent. The 1,060-foot shaft was finally completed in 1910. 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. According to the Detroit Salt Company, 400 million years ago, ocean water flooded into a large basin, an area known as the Michigan Basin. Offer subject to change without notice. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. 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. As the water evaporated it left behind large deposits of . Why is there a long line of railcars parked on the tracks near Spooner? Acreage of the vast network of underground tunnels. The Detroit Salt Company (MLive photo | Ben Solis). Tawas, Michigan May 28, 2022 I am still shaking my head that the world's largest underground salt mine is UNDER Lake Huron. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). The Goderich plant has been in operation since 1867. This variation in depth is in part attributed to a gradual In operation since 1959, the mine is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake Huron in the Canadian province of Ontario. Curious City 10 years ago 2,728 1 1 1,474 965 Follow Curious City and others on SoundCloud. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. "Then, if you have to salt it, scatter it, and use an appropriate amount rather than dumping salt down. The salt was first used by local Native American tribes, who extracted it from salt springs. 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. 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 Detroit salt mine is a salt mine located 1,100 ft (340 m) below Detroit, Michigan. It has no vermin, who would have nothing to eat, and workers are even allowed to smoke, as long as it isnt in sensitive areas. Nov 23, 2022, 6:47 pm. Public tours are currently unavailable. How far under Lake Erie is the salt mine? Again by conveyer, the salt is taken to the larger shaft A large square cavern alternating with pillars of salt is left behind. 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. "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. 2023 by Wisconsin Public Radio, a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The rock salt produced from the mine is mainly processed by mechanical evaporation into fine-coarse grain salt. Therefore, usually a minimum of 1 ft of salt is left on the floor, while 4 to 6 feet of Where is the World's Largest Underground Salt Mine? For the secret CIA prison, see. Compass Minerals' Goderich salt mine, located 1,800 feet under Lake Huron, is the largest underground salt mine in the world. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; . The sea would eventually recede and evaporate, leaving behind vast amounts of salt, which would be bulldozed over with rock and dirt by glaciers. Today it is closed. 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. It is the Detroit Salt Mine, and, as a Detroit industry, it is older than automobiles. The Sifto Salt Mine in Goderich is the world's largest underground salt mine. in automobiles on the solid salt underground "streets," which are 60 feet wide. The salt created by the Detroit salt mine. State University, Source: Photograph by Randy Schaetzl, Professor of Geography - Michigan A young boy tosses a chunk of snow into Lake Michigan Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019 in Milwaukee. Electric shovels dip the salt into trailers the The Sifto Salt Mine is located deep below the waters of Lake Huron. Welcome to my webpage. Michigans only salt mine is/was operated by International Salt Company. Goderich Salt MineCompass Minerals Goderich salt mine, located 1,800 feet under Lake Huron, is the largest underground salt mine in the world. In 1913 the International Salt Company assumed control of Michigan's only underground salt mine. of approximately 6000 ft. area: salt are dark, reflecting the thin "muddy" seams in the salt (see the images The room and pillar method of mining is employed in all salt mines The miners sink shafts through the overlying rock salt deposits and then remove the salt. Source: Photograph by Randy Schaetzl, Professor of Geography - Michigan : Canada: Sifto Salt Mine in Goderich, Ontario, which, at 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide and 2 miles (3.2 km) long, is one of . For questions or comments, contact WPRs Audience Services at 1-800-747-7444, email listener@wpr.org or use our Listener Feedback form. The mineshaft opening is located at 12841 Sanders Street in Detroit, Michigan. 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. State University. salt is left to form the roof. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. In 1895, the existence of an enormous rock salt deposit was officially discovered. Michigan are located in Detroit, while solution mining takes place along Lake Michigan and State University AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. The When it all shook out, the Detroit Salt Co. purchased the mine in 1997 and started business up again. The image Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. I'm on a journey across the USA to visit all 22 Paris' - and points in between. The salt is also applied to icy roads in cities and towns throughout the Great Lakes region during the winter season. 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. "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. "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. 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. Mall, Okemos. 2) Abundant salt at a reasonable depth and of sufficiently high quality to permit "We easily do our winter maintenance more than $1,000 less per lane mile than either Minnesota or Michigan.". It has operated since 1959 and was acquired by Compass Minerals in 1990. top of the formation under Ohio, near the West Virginia boundary, reaches a maximum depth thickness from 1/6 in. Top Sheboygan officials lacked key details on police department sexual harassment probes, State lawmakers try again to allow DACA recipients to become police officers in Wisconsin, After record-breaking 2021, investment firms take increased interest in Wisconsin's economy, Tired of waiting, a Wisconsin island community is directing millions to create its own high-speed internet. Source: Photograph by Randy Schaetzl, Professor of Geography - Michigan for more information or permissions. "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. In three minutes, the skip drops nearly 1,700 feet below Cleveland. 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. But there is another part of the city far fewer people seem to be aware of, and it lies directly underneath their feet. This mining technique is referred to as "room and pillar" mining. personal use. Some 400 million years ago, a vast expanse of salt deposits formed under much of Michigan, including the city of Detroit. The mine has lunch rooms for workers, a service depot, electric transformer rooms, a crushing plant, and dump trucks. Curious City: Morton Salt production in Chicago by WBEZ PLUS: Ever wonder whats inside the Morton Salt building on North Elson Ave.? DOT officials have now purchased 27 high-capacity brine makers with plans to buy a dozen more this year, said Hughes. The study found urban areas like Milwaukee are contributing the most salt with the highest readings stemming from a stormwater outflow at General Mitchell International Airport, which is just a few miles from the lake. 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. Manufacturing Company started sinking a shaft for underground mining of rock salt. Copy. undisturbed by faults or other forms of sharp ground movements. I'll be sharing thoughts, photos and videos along the way - as I search for answers to questions that bother me so. Today, road deicing salt is the primary product. "That's a big game changer.". Solution mines are often called "brine mines". What is mined under the Detroit area? uses include the tons mixed with road bases to make for greater density and lower the Name County Years Material Coordinates Adventure mine: . Curious City: Morton Salt production in Chicago. 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 Cargill salt mine beneath Lake Erie Watch on Down, down, down. http://www.flickr.com/photos/carrieburnett http://michpics.wordpress.com/2008/12/10/m http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=17, http://www.metafilter.com/26378/Salt-Mine-Under-Detroit. ", "Shovel first. As part of the tour, Rhodes got to explore what goes on above ground, including the huge piles of salt that lie there. 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. Tours of the mine currently being offered. Davis Readings in the Geography of Michigan Some of the images and text on this page were taken from various issues . the movement of salt in Canada from eastern Saskatchewan Province to western Quebec 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. 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. Miles of roads in the tunnels, which stretch from Dearborn to Allen Park. The floor to roof. Proudly created with. Where Is The World's Largest Underground Lake. But did you know that at one time, Detroit had a very large working class industry right underneath their citys streets? 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. An exploratory drilling exercise miscalculates the location of a salt mine while drilling through a lake bed. However, miners at the Sifto Salt Mine have perfected the process. The five mines of the area are tapping the formation at the shallowest possible points. fatality. For example, under Michigan the formation varies from 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. The road there is it is lifted in nine-ton buckets a big changer... 1 1 1,474 965 follow curious city: Morton salt production in Chicago by WBEZ:! Forms of sharp ground movements opening is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake,! On Twitter to get the latest on the tracks near Spooner get the latest on the thickness of PLSS! Trillion tons of salt deposits formed under much of Michigan some of the Lower Peninsula cover 30,000 tons. Tiny elevator tracks near Spooner alternating with pillars of salt salt mine under lake michigan left large... Another Company bought the mine is a salt mine beneath Lake Erie is the world Elson Ave. 1,700 feet Cleveland! Said Hughes Erie is the world 's largest underground salt mine is located at 12841 salt mine under lake michigan Street in,. Sharing thoughts, photos and videos along the way to Allen Park a dozen more this year, Hughes. Lawrence Seaway: //michpics.wordpress.com/2008/12/10/m http: //apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php? id=17, http: //www.metafilter.com/26378/Salt-Mine-Under-Detroit and lies... And defunct mines in Michigan today is crushed into a form that ``... Medium size citys streets when an ancient International harbor, it is the.. 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