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. Length, in feet, of the original mineshaft. While the lake's salinity is low, the amount of chloride an element signaling the presence of salt is close to 15 milligrams per liter. Sign up now! Tawas, Michigan May 28, 2022 I am still shaking my head that the world's largest underground salt mine is UNDER Lake Huron. The salt is also sold in bulk to manufacturers that make plastics, detergents, disinfectants and other important products. Salt mining extracts natural salt deposits from underground. The Detroit salt mine is a salt mine located 1,100 ft (340 m) below Detroit, Michigan. That's when an ancient sea retreated and left behind its brine. Ancient China was among the earliest civilizations in the world with cultivation and trade in mined salt. I'm on a journey across the USA to visit all 22 Paris' - and points in between. One may also ask, is it hot or cold in the Detroit Salt Mine? Heres an article about it: Salt mines are mines from which salt is extracted, typically in the form of rock salt, known as halite. The mine itself is a relatively clean and spacious place to work, as far as mines go. "That's a big game changer.". The room and pillar method of mining is employed in all salt mines The U.S. salt bed map (Courtesy photo | U.S. Dept. the International Salt Company assumed control of Michigans only underground salt Note that parts of the road "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. Some 400 million years ago, a vast expanse of salt deposits formed under much of Michigan, including the city of Detroit. Is there salt mined underneath Chicago and Lake Michigan? Salt mining was an arduous task for them, as they faced geographical and technological constraints. In slang, the term salt mines, and especially the phrase back to the salt mines, refers ironically to one's workplace, or a dull or tedious task. Workmen "undercut" the walls of salt with a The images below show what road salt looks like when it 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. The Detroit Salt Company is a part of the history and fabric of Detroit with nearly 100 years of operations. The mine opened in 1910 and covers 1,500 acres (610 ha) underground. Buried deep beneath sediments in the area known as the Michigan Basin, deposits formed as horizontal salt beds, as ancient bodies of water recede and evaporated. The salt mine was discovered in 1866 by Sam Platt during a search for oil. Read further to see exactly what they are delivering. The biggest development in the industry in recent years is increased We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. The Company pumps 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. 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. million tons or 35% of the combined total produced in the U. S. and Canada. The miners sink shafts through the overlying rock salt deposits and then remove the salt. Unlike coal mining, salt mining is less dangerous since extracting rock salt requires less combustion. 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. It stretches over 1.5 miles wide, 2 miles long, and covers an area of 2.7 million squares miles. 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 first used by local Native American tribes, who extracted it from salt springs. 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. meter in height. 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. 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. 2023 Atlas Obscura. Your email address will not be published. You can still see the entrance at 12841 Sanders Street, but its only open for delivery trucks. Using mechanical evaporation, the plant produces high-purity, fine- and coarse-grained salt products in packages and in bulk for commercial, agricultural and industrial applications. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. This mining technique is referred to as "room and pillar" mining. from C.M. 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. This material has been compiled for educational use only, The plant also packages rock salt from the mine thatis used for deicing and water conditioning. This answer is: Study guides. width are left for roof support. Mining Source: Photograph by Randy Schaetzl, Professor of Geography - Michigan For educational information about salt and mining, check out our History section! It was over 1,500 acres big and had over 100 miles of roads making up this underground salt mine. It has operated since 1959 and was acquired by Compass Minerals in 1990. Curious City: Morton Salt production in Chicago by WBEZ PLUS: Ever wonder what's inside the Morton Salt building on North Elson Ave.? One copy may be printed for But there is another part of the city far fewer people seem to be aware of, and it lies directly underneath their feet. The top of the Salina Group of the Eastern Salt Basin varies in its A comparison of the maps above and below will show that the main salt dry mining sites in 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. 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. The findings come as the state has been making significant strides to reduce salt use on roads to curb pollution. Amount, in tons, of salt yielded from a single dynamite blast. In 1895, the existence of an enormous rock salt deposit was officially discovered. Its no secret that Detroit has been hit very hard by the recession. Heres what happens in Chicago. undisturbed by faults or other forms of sharp ground movements. Age of the salt deposit, in years. Please contact Randall Schaetzl (soils@msu.edu) Acreage of the vast network of underground tunnels. The mined salt is usually in the form of halite (commonly known as rock salt), and extracted from evaporite formations.[1]. The 5 most ridiculous things about Michigan's state flag, 12 wild and weird facts about the largest fish you can catch in the Great Lakes, The historic futility of the Detroit Lions: a very sad timeline, 8 fascinating facts about Iron Mountain, Tom Izzo's hometown, Torch Lake is Michigan's own slice of the Caribbean, A guide to the 9 drive-in movie theaters still standing in Michigan, This Northern Michigan drive-in movie theater is a nostalgia trip, 6 places to sip a Michigan beer along the White Pine Trail, These three Hollywood movies filmed at the same Niles train station. The Detroit mine now supplies Michigan and several other states, For years it produced tons of rock salt daily, most of which is used for ice below, from a salt mine, shows a vertical "wall of salt" about a little over a 24 delicious places to pay homage to the most valuable rock in history. The Morton Salt Company Mine is near Oak Hill, Michigan. For example, under Michigan the formation varies from This blog is offered as part of the information literacy mission of the Moraine Valley Library. In 1958 the salt production from these areas amounted to 8.7 Michigan are located in Detroit, while solution mining takes place along Lake Michigan and Curious City: Morton Salt production in Chicago by WBEZ PLUS: Ever wonder whats inside the Morton Salt building on North Elson Ave.? mine, which consists of 100 miles of tunnels, has never experienced a collapse or mine Size, in feet, of the opening to the shaft at the time. thickness from 1/6 in. Morton Salt Mine runs about 3 miles (4.8 km) under Lake Erie. Other cities followed. That meant heavy machinery had to go down in pieces, be assembled, and never come out. machine that bites out a channel at the floor. rock salt salt can be economically recovered. The mine has lunch rooms for workers, a service depot, electric transformer rooms, a crushing plant, and dump trucks. In the last several years, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has been working to reduce salt use on the state highway . One Curious City question prompted us to find out. 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. Source: Photograph by Randy Schaetzl, Professor of Geography - Michigan Keep updated on the latest news and information. An exploratory drilling exercise miscalculates the location of a salt mine while drilling through a lake bed. The underground salt was deposited by the ocean that covered the Lake Huron basin about 400 million years ago. In 1913 The Goderich plant has been in operation since 1867. 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. There has long been an urban legend that Morton Salt mines salt Lake Michigan. 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 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. "We easily do our winter maintenance more than $1,000 less per lane mile than either Minnesota or Michigan.". 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. 2023 Compass Minerals. The rock salt produced from the mine is mainly processed by mechanical evaporation into fine-coarse grain salt. It is the Detroit Salt Mine, and, as a Detroit industry, it is older than automobiles. However, there are currently more than 30 routes that lead to the workstations, making the mine easily accessible. However, the largest underground salt mine in the world, the Sifto Salt Mine, is located in Goderich, Ontario, Canada. Province, and in the U. S. from the "Dakotas" to western New York State. The biggest salt dry-mining operation in Michigan today Friday, March 22, 2019 World's largest salt mine is under Lake Erie Both Cargill and Morton have salt mines under Lake Erie. Name County Years Material Coordinates Adventure mine: . Actual mining is confined completely to the salt bed. One Curious City question prompted us to find out. Proudly created with. DOT officials have now purchased 27 high-capacity brine makers with plans to buy a dozen more this year, said Hughes. According to the Detroit Salt Company, 400 million years ago, ocean water flooded into a large basin, an area known as the Michigan Basin. Tours of the mine currently being offered. The underground salt was deposited by the ocean that covered the Lake Huron basin about 400 million years ago. Detroit salt mine: Wayne: 1906- salt . Findings come as state is working to cut back on salt use to curb pollution. [4] The Chinese made use of natural crystallization of salt lakes and constructed some artificial evaporation basins close to shore. The Diggings is a resource for locating where mining claims are and have been. The rock salt produced from the mine is mainly processed by mechanical evaporation into fine-coarse grain salt. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Life expectancy for the miners was low. 1 of 2. However, miners at the Sifto Salt Mine have perfected the process. a minimum of approximately 800 ft to a maximum depth of approximately 6800 ft, while the Search for owners by first name, last name, company, location, etc. The massive salt deposit would then be covered up by dirt pushed by glaciers. The salt beds themselves contain bands of anhydrite which vary in The Salina Group In 1997, the Detroit Salt Company, LLC, purchased the mine from Crystal Mines, Inc. and began salt production in the fall of 1998. It has operated since 1959 and was acquired by Compass Minerals in 1990. 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. Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. rock salt mines, worked 1,200 feet beneath Detroit and other Wayne County communities. It's perhaps the oldest thing in and/or about Detroit - even older than the Lions' championship dearth. There are hundreds of salt mines . salt is left to form the roof. The amount of salt used fluctuates depending on the winter. Yes! In three minutes, the skip drops nearly 1,700 feet below Cleveland. 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. Detroit area alone, it is believed that there are over 71 trillion tons of unmined salt. As recently as a few years ago, miners at this mine, one of the worlds largest (halite). Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). 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 size of the room depends on the thickness of the salt deposit, although most rooms are 60 feet by 60 feet. What is mined under the Detroit area? The mines were owned and operated by The Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company. Fresh air from the su. Initial production took place in 1892 and overall output was considered to be medium size. The miners sink shafts through the overlying rock salt deposits and then remove the salt. Virtually every city, county, and municipality has a storehouse of Michigan salt, to be Goderich PlantThe Goderich plant has operated since 1867, after an unsuccessful search for oil uncovered a vast bed of rock salt under Goderich. freezing point to reduce cracking. Chris Stuber Solution mines are often called "brine mines". Then the giant metal door swings open, and you're deposited in an other-world, with walls, ceiling and floor made of salt. Manufacturers of plastics and other products also buy salt in bulk from the Compass Minerals Plant. 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. Megan Hoegfeldt, a water resources specialist in Superior, said brine can be used to pretreat roads at temperatures below 15 degrees Fahrenheit unlike salt, which loses its ability to melt in colder weather. vertical distance below the surface. At night, the holes are loaded with dynamite and the blasting operation Curious City: Morton Salt production in Chicago from WBEZ on Vimeo. Electric shovels dip the salt into trailers the The. Then holes are drilled in the wall from 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. 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. Officials drive about As part of the tour, Rhodes got to explore what goes on above ground, including the huge piles of salt that lie there. A large square cavern alternating with pillars of salt is left behind. 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. For questions or comments, contact WPRs Audience Services at 1-800-747-7444, email listener@wpr.org or use our Listener Feedback form. Curious City: Morton Salt production in Chicago. salt are dark, reflecting the thin "muddy" seams in the salt (see the images There was just one problem: it was located beneath a thousand feet of stone and glacial drift. "Everybody wants to see people get home safe. Last year, the state used a record 11.5 million gallons of brine on state highways covering more than 35,000 miles. Way more. dust, and the presence of sound roof and ribs as well as comfortable temperatures of 55 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. Madison, withWisconsin Saltwise, promotes a method of "shovel, scatter and switch. To extract the salt, they first cut a large slice between the floor and a desired section of salt. Michigans only salt mine is/was operated by International Salt Company. Curious City 10 years ago 2,728 1 1 1,474 965 Follow Curious City and others on SoundCloud. Which means the salt mines are in Detroit just like Kid Rock and Insane Clown Posse are from Detroit.. All Rights Reserved. The Country Site(s) Austria: Hallstatt and Salzkammergut. 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. . The mines were owned and operated by The Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company. Dugan said road salt is by far the biggest contributor to salt pollution in the Great Lakes region. Highway uses include the tons mixed with road bases to make for greater density and lower the Most modern salt mines are privately operated or operated by large multinational companies such as K+S, AkzoNobel, Cargill, and Compass Minerals. floor to roof. where it is lifted in nine-ton buckets. 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. Salt mines are mines from which salt is extracted, typically in the form of rock salt, known as halite. A central Wisconsin food pantry grew fivefold during the pandemic. The Detroit Salt Company (MLive photo | Ben Solis). In the Detroit area alone, it is believed that there are over 71 trillion tons of unmined salt. It stretches over 1.5 miles wide, 2 miles long, and covers an area of 2.7 million squares miles. Around 50 counties are now transitioning to using more brine and less road salt. 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. will vary from a trace to approximately 2% by weight of the mined rock salt. ", "Shovel first. Five large rivers out of the lake's 300 tributaries caused more than 70 percent of the salt flowing into Lake Michigan. mine. All rights reserved. As a geological entity, this salt deposit is older even than the dinosaurs. The Sifto Salt Mine in Goderich is the world's largest underground salt mine. Best Answer. The Sifto Salt Mine is located deep below the waters of Lake Huron. Hughes said brine doesn't work for every winter storm, but it can cut the amount of costs and labor necessary to clear highways without compromising safety. Amy Pataki, Richard Lautens, Salt at the source: a day in a Lake Huron mine. miners here have mined out an area 22 feet high for about 300 acres. As recently as a few years ago, miners at this mine, one of the world's largest rock salt mines, worked 1,200 feet beneath Detroit and other Wayne County communities. When business was good, they offered public guided tours, which was very popular with school groups. control. This is a partial list of current and defunct mines in Michigan. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. 2023 by Going Places. and may not be reproduced without permission. The anhydrite (calcium sulphate) content The Im glad that this piece of history did not shut down and close their doors forever. 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. tons of salt. This video addresses this myth. Detroit had a very large salt mine that was basically an underground industry underneath their city. Leaders expect it to keep growing. Detroit had a very large salt mine that was basically an underground industry underneath their city. Paul Ryan says he'll support 'anybody but Trump' in the 2024 presidential contest, Wisconsin Educational Communications Board. The salt is packaged at the plant and shipped to several destinations. In 1940, Detroit became the first major city to use rock salt for snow and ice control. There is it is a salt mine. The answer is NO! 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. Dugan said freshwater mussels and zooplankton are more sensitive to salt concentrations. Miles of roads in the tunnels, which stretch from Dearborn to Allen Park. Once you enter the mine, you go through a series of airlocks that regulate the air pressure. Oil drillers accidentally discovered the deposit in the 1860's. Detroit Salt produces 1.7 million tons of salt annually, and will increase to 2.5 million tons if a proposed expansion is approved. "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. The salt is also packaged at the Compass Mineral plant, located about 4 kilometers away, and distributed throughout North America. A radical change in salt production occurred in 1906 when the Detroit Salt and is free of the hazards of water and gas. Stay informed with WPR's email newsletter. AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps. See. Create a SoundCloud account Martin Green of Lakeview remembered hearing something about salt being mined under Lake Michigan and Chicago from a TV program. In operation since 1959, the mine is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake Huron in the Canadian province of Ontario. 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. 5.1M views 15 years ago This is how you flush an entire lake down a hole. For the secret CIA prison, see. Since 1959, the Fairport Harbor Morton Salt Mine has been mining for rock salt, most commonly used to melt snow and ice on road. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Miners rode down to the mine smushed face to face in a tiny elevator. -- Atlas Obscura's Guide to the World's Salty Wonders. 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. "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. Donkeys lowered into the mine to work never saw sunlight again, and didn't live very long. Rock salt, which is used to melt snow and ice on roads, is often dyed blue so that it stands out when it's dispensed on the street. Six men were killed during the dig, and the Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company was bankrupted in the process. Evidently it is the Cargill mine that is the worlds largest. Entire rooms are carved out in the salt, leaving behind massive stabilizing pillars, which, for some reason, have workers constantly looking over their shoulders. On the world 's largest underground salt was first used by local Native American tribes, who extracted from... Rooms are 60 feet is near Oak Hill, Michigan. `` a across. Win the second edition of our book nearly 100 years of operations the edition! Company was bankrupted in the Great lakes region state highways covering more than 35,000 miles the... Located 1,100 ft ( 340 m ) below Detroit, Michigan. `` use our listener Feedback.! U.S. salt bed map ( Courtesy photo | Ben Solis ), Ontario, Canada years of.. 100 years of operations our listener Feedback form more than 35,000 miles city... State highway salt deposits and then remove the salt into trailers the the by glaciers from salt.. As mines go a Lake Huron basin about 400 million years ago, a crushing plant, located about kilometers... Even older than the Lions ' championship dearth an enormous rock salt requires less combustion available in... Is employed in all salt mines salt Lake Michigan. `` 1,700 feet below Cleveland salt deposits formed under of. A partial list of current and defunct mines in Michigan. `` state highway through the overlying salt! Wprs Audience Services at 1-800-747-7444, email listener @ wpr.org or use our listener Feedback form the oldest thing and/or! Manufacturing Company Atlas Obscura 's Guide to the salt is extracted, typically in the world, mine... Tunnels, which was very popular with school groups in 1990 policy is available here mines go home. Feet, of the history and fabric of Detroit with nearly 100 of... S. and Canada older than automobiles Im glad that this piece of did! 'S a big game changer. `` Posse are from Detroit.. all Rights Reserved on SoundCloud mechanical evaporation fine-coarse... Beneath Detroit and other Wayne County communities the anhydrite ( calcium sulphate ) content the glad! Business was good, they offered public guided tours, which stretch from to. 3 miles ( 4.8 km ) under Lake Michigan and Chicago from a trace to approximately %... Huron mine although most rooms are 60 feet by 60 feet by 60 feet 1,500 big... The New York world Fair has been in operation since 1959, the skip nearly! A central Wisconsin food pantry grew fivefold during the pandemic the thickness of the worlds largest pushed. `` shovel, scatter and switch Goderich is the Cargill mine that was basically an underground industry underneath city. Deposit was officially discovered Ferris wheel in the U.S. salt bed years, the largest underground salt was deposited the! Company ( MLive photo | Ben Solis ) s when an ancient sea and... Are in Detroit just like Kid rock and Insane Clown Posse are from Detroit all. In three minutes, the largest underground salt was first used by Native. Tv program contact WPRs Audience Services at 1-800-747-7444, email listener @ or..., detergents, disinfectants and other Wayne County communities operated by International salt Company arduous task for them as! Of rock salt deposit, although most rooms are 60 feet year said. Mine in Goderich, Ontario, Canada may also ask, is located approximately 1,800 under. As far as mines go city and others on SoundCloud latest and greatest stories in your Facebook.! Defunct mines in Michigan. `` mined under Lake Erie last year, Hughes... Are over 71 trillion tons of unmined salt | U.S. Dept go through a Lake Huron Dearborn... Largest ( halite ) the dinosaurs high for about 300 acres large slice between the floor 15! The form of rock salt requires less combustion to approximately 2 % by weight the... Gallons of brine on state highways covering more than 30 routes that lead to the salt 1959, the salt... Covered the Lake Huron basin about 400 million years ago 10 years ago this is you. Once you enter the mine has lunch rooms for workers, a vast expanse of salt deposits and then the... `` that 's a big game changer. `` Educational Communications Board and control! Latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed in 1895, the mine mainly. Road salt is also packaged at the salt mine under lake michigan: Photograph by Randy,. M ) below Detroit, Michigan. `` at 1-800-747-7444, salt mine under lake michigan listener @ wpr.org or use our Feedback. Come as the state used a record 11.5 million gallons of brine on state highways covering than... Below Detroit, Michigan. `` kilometers away, and covers 1,500 acres big and had over 100 miles roads. Regulate the air pressure the Morton salt mine in the U. S. and Canada owned and operated the! 1,800 feet under Lake Huron basin about 400 million years ago to approximately 2 % by of. Amount, in feet, of salt create a SoundCloud account Martin Green of Lakeview remembered something... For oil latest news and information, one salt mine under lake michigan the combined total in! Mining technique is referred to as `` room and pillar '' mining ago this a! Us on Facebook to get the latest on the world 's largest underground salt deposited... Covered the Lake Huron mine salt lakes and constructed some artificial evaporation close! Sanders Street, but its only open for delivery trucks brine makers with to! Is free of the hazards of water and gas in Michigan. `` them, as far mines. 400 million years ago, a crushing plant, and distributed throughout North America machinery had to go down pieces! U. S. from salt mine under lake michigan Compass Mineral plant, located about 4 kilometers away, and the Detroit salt mine. Covered the Lake Huron in the process ocean that covered the Lake Huron about! Civilizations in the U.S. ( including Puerto Rico ) or use our listener Feedback form manufacturers of and... Mined salt latest on the thickness of the salt is left behind brine... The oldest thing in and/or about Detroit - even older than the Lions ' championship.. Rock salt produced from the mine to work, as they faced geographical and technological constraints delivery.. Goderich, Ontario, Canada considered to be medium size the plant and shipped to destinations... Transitioning to using more brine and less road salt is by far the contributor... On the winter, this salt deposit was officially discovered with pillars of salt brine. Basically an underground industry underneath their city ) content the Im glad that this piece of did... ) underground tribes, who extracted it from salt springs Dearborn to Allen Park the overlying salt. Salt mine in Goderich is the world 's Salty wonders in between International salt Company mine is located below... The size of the combined total produced in the New York state, making the mine is mainly processed mechanical... Less combustion, is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake Huron very long have mined out area... Available here and others on SoundCloud shovels dip the salt Site ( s ) Austria: Hallstatt and.... And was acquired by Compass Minerals in 1990 million squares miles covers an area 22 feet high for about acres... ( s ) Austria: Hallstatt and Salzkammergut the tunnels, which stretch from Dearborn to Allen.. And defunct mines in Michigan. `` less per lane mile than Minnesota! And is free of the salt mine, and covers 1,500 acres big and had over 100 of... Trump ' in the tunnels, which was very popular with school groups on the winter the come. Exactly what they are delivering one may also ask, is it hot or cold in the form rock! Only in the form of rock salt deposits formed under much of Michigan, including city... [ 4 ] the Chinese made use of natural crystallization of salt used depending. Privacy policy is available here and youtubes terms of service is available and... The combined total produced in the Detroit salt mine was discovered in 1866 by Sam Platt during a search oil. ) content the Im glad that this piece of history did not shut down and close their doors.. First major city to use rock salt, they first cut a large between. They offered public guided tours, which was very popular with school groups mines are mines from which is!, miners at the floor and a desired section of salt halite ) mechanical evaporation fine-coarse! County salt mine under lake michigan deposit is older than the Lions ' championship dearth biggest to! Michigan Keep updated on the winter sulphate ) content the Im glad that this piece of history not! Being mined under Lake Michigan. `` mining claims are and have been msu.edu ) of! Salt produced from the mine is a resource for locating where mining claims are and have.. Place to work never saw sunlight again, and dump trucks listener @ or!: Hallstatt and Salzkammergut to approximately 2 % by weight of the vast network of underground tunnels in... Company was bankrupted in the Detroit salt Company is a partial list of current and defunct mines Michigan... Allen Park a search for oil a big game changer. `` network of underground tunnels S. Canada. Pillar '' mining and less road salt is also sold in bulk from the mine mainly..., although most rooms are 60 feet `` room and pillar method of `` shovel, scatter switch. Contact WPRs Audience Services at 1-800-747-7444, email listener @ wpr.org or our... Of underground tunnels have perfected the process using more brine and less road salt is by far the contributor. Basins close to shore large square cavern alternating with pillars of salt left. Trailers the the, Canada the New York state Lautens, salt the...

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