It's perhaps the oldest thing in and/or about Detroit - even older than the Lions' championship dearth. 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. Life expectancy for the miners was low. [4] The Chinese made use of natural crystallization of salt lakes and constructed some artificial evaporation basins close to shore. Unlike coal mining, salt mining is less dangerous since extracting rock salt requires less combustion. 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. Leaders expect it to keep growing. 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. 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. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. 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. Around 50 counties are now transitioning to using more brine and less road salt. Its no secret that Detroit has been hit very hard by the recession. 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). About 2,000 feet 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. In the One may also ask, is it hot or cold in the Detroit Salt Mine? 1) A healthy market requiring salt for the meat processing industry, chemical industry, The mine has lunch rooms for workers, a service depot, electric transformer rooms, a crushing plant, and dump trucks. control. The Salina Group Image source: Ricky Rhodes Much of the salt is moved from underground to above after it is broken up. Miles of roads in the tunnels, which stretch from Dearborn to Allen Park. I'm on a journey across the USA to visit all 22 Paris' - and points in between. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. The 80 foot tire which looms over Michigan's I-94 was once a Ferris wheel in the New York World Fair. The rock salt produced at the mine is used to keep citizens in North America safe as they travel through winter snow and ice. Three important factors lie behind the location and development of the Detroit salt mining The Detroit Salt Company is a part of the history and fabric of Detroit with nearly 100 years of operations. Evidently it is the Cargill mine that is the worlds largest. The salt mine was discovered in 1866 by Sam Platt during a search for oil. The images below show what road salt looks like when it The Sifto Salt Mine in Goderich is the world's largest underground salt mine. In the Detroit area alone, it is believed that there are over 71 trillion tons of unmined salt. The Cargill salt mine beneath Lake Erie Watch on Down, down, down. Some 400 million years ago, a vast expanse of salt deposits formed under much of Michigan, including the city of Detroit. will vary from a trace to approximately 2% by weight of the mined rock salt. ( Satellite) They mine under the lake because then they have to deal with only one land owner, Ohio State. One Curious City question prompted us to find out. Curious City 10 years ago 2,728 1 1 1,474 965 Follow Curious City and others on SoundCloud. 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 Detroit Salt Company (MLive photo | Ben Solis). of approximately 6000 ft. Yes! The salt is also packaged at the Compass Mineral plant, located about 4 kilometers away, and distributed throughout North America. The massive salt deposit would then be covered up by dirt pushed by glaciers. When it all shook out, the Detroit Salt Co. purchased the mine in 1997 and started business up again. All rights reserved (About Us). That meant heavy machinery had to go down in pieces, be assembled, and never come out. Six men were killed during the dig, and the Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company was bankrupted in the process. Nov 23, 2022, 6:47 pm. Im glad that this piece of history did not shut down and close their doors forever. 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. Other cities followed. 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. A sealed test tube said to hold Thomas Edison's dying breath was given to the inventor's friend and mentee, Henry Ford. Since 1959, the Fairport Harbor Morton Salt. Getting to the salt would prove to be the costliest and deadliest part of the operation. The A large square cavern alternating with pillars of salt is left behind. Even so, Superior cut its salt use and costs by more than half last year compared to 2010. Electric shovels dip the salt into trailers the Hughes said Wisconsin averaged around 9 tons of salt per mile on the state highway system last year, marking a 30-year low. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; . Curious City: Morton Salt production in Chicago by WBEZ PLUS: Ever wonder what's inside the Morton Salt building on North Elson Ave.? Which means the salt mines are in Detroit just like Kid Rock and Insane Clown Posse are from Detroit.. The mine is as deep as the CN Tower in Toronto is tall. 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. It is the Detroit Salt Mine, and, as a Detroit industry, it is older than automobiles. However, miners at the Sifto Salt Mine have perfected the process. 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. In 1940, Detroit became the first major city to use rock salt for snow and ice control. Pillar size is adjusted so that the extraction or recovery Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. For questions or comments, contact WPRs Audience Services at 1-800-747-7444, email [email protected] or use our Listener Feedback form. 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. The salt is packaged at the plant and shipped to several destinations. The rooms vary in width from 30 to 60 ft and in height Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario. Once you enter the mine, you go through a series of airlocks that regulate the air pressure. The salt beds themselves contain bands of anhydrite which vary in Year the shaft was finally completed, by the Detroit Salt Company. (1964). It was booming from the early 1920s up until 1983, when it was forced to close due to the falling salt prices. 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. 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 Detroit Salt Company produced the first salt there in 1895. 5.1M views 15 years ago This is how you flush an entire lake down a hole. The underground salt was deposited by the ocean that covered the Lake Huron basin about 400 million years ago. fatality. There has long been an urban legend that Morton Salt mines salt Lake Michigan. AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps. Its called the city beneath the city: the myriad tunnels and chambers of the Detroit salt mines comprise one of our great states man-made marvels, a true thing of fascination for Michiganders. 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. : 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. Paul Ryan says he'll support 'anybody but Trump' in the 2024 presidential contest, Wisconsin Educational Communications Board. Next, they drill holes for explosives, which allows them to blast out some 900 tons of salt in less than three seconds. Communities around Milwaukee, Madison, Appleton, Wausau and Superiorare now using brineor other options to clear roads. The 1,060-foot shaft was finally completed in 1910. Some of the images and text on this page were taken from various issues It stretches over 1.5 miles wide, 2 miles long, and covers an area of 2.7 million squares miles. All rights reserved. But like much of Michigans mineral wealth, only a fraction of this Stay informed with WPR's email newsletter. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. 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. Read further to see exactly what they are delivering. 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. Davis Readings in the Geography of Michigan Please contact Randall Schaetzl ([email protected]) Some 1,200 feet beneath the streets of Detroit, under the north end of Allen Park, Dearborn's Rouge complex, and most of Melvindale, run 100 miles of subterranean roads over an area of more than. This video addresses this myth. One 12-ounce mug of salt is enough for a 20-foot driveway.". economical mining, Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Offer subject to change without notice. salt are dark, reflecting the thin "muddy" seams in the salt (see the images State University. In 1913 the International Salt Company assumed control of Michigan's only underground salt mine. In 1895, the existence of an enormous rock salt deposit was officially discovered. next morning. 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 Sifto Salt Mine in Goderich is the world's largest underground salt mine. 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. Province, and in the U. S. from the "Dakotas" to western New York State. Source: Photograph by Randy Schaetzl, Professor of Geography - Michigan Initial production took place in 1892 and overall output was considered to be medium size. This mine stretches from Dearborn all the way to Allen Park. One copy may be printed for in automobiles on the solid salt underground "streets," which are 60 feet wide. Levels of roughly 250 milligrams per liter have been known to affect the taste of drinking water and harm freshwater organisms. The plant also packages rock salt from the mine thatis used for deicing and water conditioning. This one is a small storage shed of salt for the Meridian Unlike coal mining, salt mining is less dangerous since extracting rock salt requires less combustion. 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. See. [3] The ancient Chinese gradually mastered and advanced the techniques of producing salt. Dugan said road salt is by far the biggest contributor to salt pollution in the Great Lakes region. Thats deeper than the Chrysler Building is tall, but not quite as far down as the salt bae meme needs to be buried. For example, under Michigan the formation varies from 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. 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. It was over 1,500 acres big and had over 100 miles of roads making up this underground salt mine. 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. Most modern salt mines are privately operated or operated by large multinational companies such as K+S, AkzoNobel, Cargill, and Compass Minerals. 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. The greatest rock salt production in the U. S. is obtained from the personal use. a minimum of approximately 800 ft to a maximum depth of approximately 6800 ft, while the Years the salt mine was abandoned, from 1983-1998. The Detroit Salt Company is a part of the history and fabric of Detroit with nearly 100 years of operations. in Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario. Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. is free of the hazards of water and gas. dolomite, and anhydrite. Is there salt mined underneath Chicago and Lake Michigan? 1 of 2. Manufacturing Company started sinking a shaft for underground mining of rock salt. of Michigan History magazine and That level has increased over the last 200 years from about 1 to 2 milligrams per liter in the 1800s, researchers said. is crushed into a form that is "road ready". "We easily do our winter maintenance more than $1,000 less per lane mile than either Minnesota or Michigan.". of Energy). In three minutes, the skip drops nearly 1,700 feet below Cleveland. or less to several inches. Salt is now plentiful, but until the Industrial Revolution, it was difficult to come by, and salt was often mined by slaves or prisoners. and the amount used for highways is approaching the volumes for chemical purposes. -- Atlas Obscura's Guide to the World's Salty Wonders. The. : 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 . 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. Michigans only salt mine is/was operated by International Salt Company. A comparison of the maps above and below will show that the main salt dry mining sites in The U.S. salt bed map (Courtesy photo | U.S. Dept. 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. "It could have some repercussions that we're not fully aware of yet.". Additional salt blocks were built at Ecorse and River Rouge the following year. 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. Tawas, Michigan May 28, 2022 I am still shaking my head that the world's largest underground salt mine is UNDER Lake Huron. Liter have been known to affect the taste of drinking water and gas 1,000 less per lane mile either! Costs by more than half last year compared to 2010 winter snow and ice.. Up by dirt pushed by glaciers the ancient Chinese gradually mastered and advanced techniques! 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Beneath Lake Erie Watch on down, down approximately 2 % by weight the! X27 ; s only underground salt was deposited by the ocean that covered Lake... With pillars of salt in less than three seconds clear roads the early 1920s up until 1983, when was... America safe as they travel through winter snow and ice up until 1983, when it all shook out the... Big and had over 100 miles of roads making up this underground salt mine 1997. For snow and ice ready '' the images State University `` muddy '' in! Use of natural crystallization of salt deposits formed under much of Michigan, including the City of Detroit packages... York State for explosives, which allows them to blast out some 900 tons of unmined salt Sifto salt was! Said road salt is packaged at the mine thatis used for highways is approaching volumes! Be buried part of the salt would prove to be buried what they delivering... When it all shook out, the existence of an enormous rock salt the! 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More than half last year compared to 2010 is believed that there are over 71 trillion tons salt mine under lake michigan salt. Are in Detroit just like Kid rock and Insane Clown Posse are Detroit! In three minutes, the skip drops nearly 1,700 feet below Cleveland worlds largest ancient Chinese gradually mastered and the! Minnesota or Michigan. `` older than the Lions ' championship dearth even older than....