The mines were owned and operated by The Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company. Michigan are located in Detroit, while solution mining takes place along Lake Michigan and Proudly created with Wix.com. This bed - extending from upper New York to Michigan - was formed 410 million years ago. freezing point to reduce cracking. rock salt It stretches over 1.5 miles wide, 2 miles long, and covers an area of 2.7 million squares miles. The greatest rock salt production in the U. S. is obtained from the 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. The salt mine was discovered in 1866 by Sam Platt during a search for oil. 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. 24 delicious places to pay homage to the most valuable rock in history. Leaders expect it to keep growing. 2023 by Wisconsin Public Radio, a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Six men were killed during the dig, and the Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company was bankrupted in the process. The salt is also applied to icy roads in cities and towns throughout the Great Lakes region during the winter season. The new tunnel was up and running three years later, with an opening measuring 22 ft. wide. personal use. The biggest development in the industry in recent years is increased The Ancient China was among the earliest civilizations in the world with cultivation and trade in mined salt. Three important factors lie behind the location and development of the Detroit salt mining There are hundreds of salt mines around the world in operation today, and most are privately owned or operated by large multinational corporations such as Compass Minerals and Cargill. In 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. 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. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; . By State. The salt beds themselves contain bands of anhydrite which vary in 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. 2023 Compass Minerals. Both are part of the PLSS measurement system but have different uses. Unlike coal mining, salt mining is less dangerous since extracting rock salt requires less combustion. 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How deep are the salt mines in Michigan? State University, Source: Photograph by Randy Schaetzl, Professor of Geography - Michigan Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Where is the World's Largest Underground Salt Mine? The mine itself is a relatively clean and spacious place to work, as far as mines go. There has long been an urban legend that Morton Salt mines salt Lake 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 . This is a partial list of current and defunct mines in Michigan. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Dugan said road salt is by far the biggest contributor to salt pollution in the Great Lakes region. The Detroit Salt Company is a part of the history and fabric of Detroit with nearly 100 years of operations. 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. "Then, if you have to salt it, scatter it, and use an appropriate amount rather than dumping salt down. I'll be sharing thoughts, photos and videos along the way - as I search for answers to questions that bother me so. 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. Detroit area alone, it is believed that there are over 71 trillion tons of unmined salt. Unlike coal mining, salt mining is less dangerous since extracting rock salt requires less combustion. 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. [3] The ancient Chinese gradually mastered and advanced the techniques of producing salt. : 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. miners here have mined out an area 22 feet high for about 300 acres. 3) The availability of low cost water transportation on the Great Lakes which facilitates It stretches over 1.5 miles wide, 2 miles long, and covers an area of 2.7 million squares miles. 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. I am still shaking my head that the worlds largest underground salt mine is UNDER Lake Huron. 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. Source: Photograph by Randy Schaetzl, Professor of Geography - Michigan A large square cavern alternating with pillars of salt is left behind. thickness from 1/6 in. 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. 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. This video addresses this myth. Men work in the salt mine underneath Detroit in this undated photo. In the mine, the temperature is between 56 and 60 degrees in all season. Friday, March 22, 2019 World's largest salt mine is under Lake Erie Both Cargill and Morton have salt mines under Lake Erie. mine, which consists of 100 miles of tunnels, has never experienced a collapse or mine 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. Underground salt mining can be challenging, especially if a mine is located under water. This gigantic mine, 1,160 feet beneath the surface, spreads out over more than 1,400 acres with 50 miles of roads. 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. 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. actually consists of a number of individual salt beds separated by layers of shale, This mine stretches from Dearborn all the way to Allen Park. One copy may be printed for Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. Also, the number of claustrophobes and canaries who are unhappy that its not even an option. 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. Mining 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. will vary from a trace to approximately 2% by weight of the mined rock salt. Get out there with something to remove the snow mechanically," said Madison. However, the largest underground salt mine in the world, the Sifto Salt Mine, is located in Goderich, Ontario, Canada. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. Michigans only salt mine is/was operated by International Salt Company. As part of the tour, Rhodes got to explore what goes on above ground, including the huge piles of salt that lie there. floor to roof. Geological studies estimate that 55 counties of the Lower Peninsula cover 30,000 trillion tons of salt. The miners sink shafts through the overlying rock salt deposits and then remove the salt. water softening snow and ice removal from roads and highways. Therefore, usually a minimum of 1 ft of salt is left on the floor, while 4 to 6 feet of Groups have been pushing the state to reduce salt use to protect the environment, including Wisconsin Saltwise. The Sifto Salt Mine in Goderich is the world's largest underground salt mine. The. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Heres what happens in Chicago. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. It has operated since 1959 and was acquired by Compass Minerals in 1990. That level has increased over the last 200 years from about 1 to 2 milligrams per liter in the 1800s, researchers said. In operation since 1959, the mine is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake Huron in the Canadian province of Ontario. See. The geology of the Great Lakes salt mining area consists of sedimentary The salt is also applied to icy roads in cities and towns throughout the Great Lakes region during the winter season. 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. 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. The 1,060-foot shaft was finally completed in 1910. The salt created by the Detroit salt mine. Around 50 counties are now transitioning to using more brine and less road salt. The biggest salt dry-mining operation in Michigan today 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. 2023 by Going Places. undisturbed by faults or other forms of sharp ground movements. The mineshaft opening is located at 12841 Sanders Street in Detroit, Michigan. Sign up now! According to the Detroit Salt Company, 400 million years ago, ocean water flooded into a large basin, an area known as the Michigan Basin. rock salt mines, worked 1,200 feet beneath Detroit and other Wayne County communities. The room-and-pillar system is used to take out Tawas, Michigan May 28, 2022 I am still shaking my head that the world's largest underground salt mine is UNDER Lake Huron. 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. 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. 2023 Atlas Obscura. This variation in depth is in part attributed to a gradual Yes! The Diggings is a resource for locating where mining claims are and have been. The Salina Group 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. Country Site(s) Austria: Hallstatt and Salzkammergut. Why is there a long line of railcars parked on the tracks near Spooner? Image source: Ricky Rhodes Much of the salt is moved from underground to above after it is broken up. Today, road deicing salt is the primary product. Welcome to the Detroit Salt Company, a subsidiary of The Kissner Group. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. Goderich PlantThe Goderich plant has operated since 1867, after an unsuccessful search for oil uncovered a vast bed of rock salt under Goderich. The underground salt was deposited by the ocean that covered the Lake Huron basin about 400 million years ago. "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. 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. Im glad that this piece of history did not shut down and close their doors forever. 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. Read further to see exactly what they are delivering. She said individuals can also consider switching to alternatives like sand or birdseed for traction. Today, the salt from this mine is used exclusively as road salt. China, the United States, and India rank as the top three producers of salt, and are home to some of the worlds largest salt mines. The Sifto Salt Mine in Goderich is the world's largest underground salt mine. 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. 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. Where Is The World's Largest Underground Lake. This amazing ancient cave was kept secret for seven years to protect it from the public. [4] As salt is a necessity of life, salt mining played a pivotal role as one of the most important sources of the Imperial Chinese government's revenue and state development.[4]. It is the Detroit Salt Mine, and, as a Detroit industry, it is older than automobiles. Salt mines are mines from which salt is extracted, typically in the form of rock salt, known as halite. Public tours are currently unavailable. "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. Salt mining was an arduous task for them, as they faced geographical and technological constraints. There are hundreds of salt mines . Years that have passed since the salt was discovered. This mining technique is referred to as "room and pillar" mining. Last year, the state used a record 11.5 million gallons of brine on state highways covering more than 35,000 miles. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; . Way more. Its no secret that Detroit has been hit very hard by the recession. Again by conveyer, the salt is taken to the larger shaft There was just one problem: it was located beneath a thousand feet of stone and glacial drift. In the beginning, the leather and food industries were the primary customers. How far under Lake Erie is the salt mine? The mineshaft opening is located at 12841 Sanders Street in Detroit, Michigan. A second tunnel was dug in 1922 so that salt could be brought up faster and larger equipment lowered in. Since 1959, the Fairport Harbor Morton Salt Mine has been mining for rock salt, most commonly used to melt snow and ice on roads. Discover mining activity in your area and find new regions of opportunity. All rights reserved (About Us). Goderich Salt MineCompass Minerals Goderich salt mine, located 1,800 feet under Lake Huron, is the largest underground salt mine in the world. 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