Salt Depletion Discrepancy

[jww36]

I've only been going to Bonneville for a dozen years, so I am a relative newcomer to LSR. In July of 2015, after Googling "Bonneville Salt Flats", on Wikipedia and noticing a quote by the BLM stating the "BLM has undertaken numerous studies of the salt crust thickness within the Bonneville Salt Flats and ultimately concluded in a 2006 study that there was virtually no difference in the salt crust thickness from 1988 to 2003…, I mentioned this fact on Landracing Forum. There has been many, many discussions about salt thickness studies at the Salt Flats, with BLM sticking to previous statements.

If it could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, that even a simple minded government agency could comprehend that the salt thickness is significantly less then years ago, might it help our plight?

On one of my first trip to the salt while driving out on lands end road, a gentleman who had been coming to Bonneville since its early beginnings stated the salt used to be as high as the asphalt of roads end. Obviously when the road was built it was laid on the salt surface. Today, the mud/salt adjacent the road is probably 3' to 4' below the asphalt surface.

If a core sample was taken from roads end pavement, and if there is salt 8" to 10" below the surface, wouldn't that prove the level of salt that has been extracted from the flats?

[Podunk]

If the BLM caught someone doing that they would be destroying government property. At least 30 years. Be careful Sid.

[makr]

They know the truth.

[aircap]

They know the truth.

And don't give a crap.

[kiwi belly tank]

I don't have the ability or motivation to core sample the road................right now.
  Sid.

[Stainless1]

Doubt they built the road with a salt base... Ron Christensen might have knowledge related to this.  My guess is they graded the salt off and laid a rock base, there is a quarry up the hill.

[crawford]

know they did not build the road on the salt, but they did have to lay several levels of road base which they compact. The end of the road is not any lower, but because of the road it traps more water.

[Steve Cole]

know they did not build the road on the salt, but they did have to lay several levels of road base which they compact. The end of the road is not any lower, but because of the road it traps more water.

But, we used to drive off the road onto the salt and there was little to no difference in height. You cannot say that now even after Ron Main and crew put however many truck load of salt back there a few years back.

[crawford]

The end of the road has always had a steep grade to the salt, because the water sits at the end it eats away at the entry way and salt has been replaced there for at the least 30 years that I know of.

[nrhs sales]

there is a reason it is called "the boat ramp".    Key word being ramp.

[Steve Cole]

I would not of called it a steep grade back in the day (1970's). My first trips to the the salt was in the early 60's but I just do not remember the road from back then much. Yes, it had a slight slope to it but never the drop it's had for the last 10 years and it's just getting worse much faster now. Its sure NOT because nothing it disappearing! If the water sat and dried out it would still be sitting there as it use to, but now its gone, so it had to have gone somewhere. Like across the road to a holding pond. Let see, the mine is pulling out more and putting back less year after year and the salt level is dropping. Now let's get a rocket scientist to tell us what's happening!

To say other wise is just hiding from the truth!

[jdincau]

In the 60's and 70's the access was from the main highway (now the frontage road) into the Saldero loop then over a bridge to what is now the east side of the international course. Wasn't much of a grade difference because the highway didn't have as thick of a built up roadbed.

[Dynoroom]

For Jim & some of the "vintage" Bonneville racers, I don't think this is the "bridge" into the salt. Looks more like boards over the Saldaro loop or

[gkabbt]

know they did not build the road on the salt, but they did have to lay several levels of road base which they compact. The end of the road is not any lower, but because of the road it traps more water.

But, we used to drive off the road onto the salt and there was little to no difference in height. You cannot say that now even after Ron Main and crew put however many truck load of salt back there a few years back.

The salt that Ron put down was to cover two VERY large and deep salt pools right off lands end for the Shootout in 2014.
I REALLY hated taking my rental through them the week before at the WoS but.....Oh Well! 

Here is a pic of water on the course past lands end and on the way to the USFRA tracks:



Gregg

[jdincau]

For Jim & some of the "vintage" Bonneville racers, I don't think this is the "bridge" into the salt. Looks more like boards over the Saldaro loop or

Well we referred to it as the bridge but you are right it was just a plank frame over the Saldero loop canal. No bridge at the highway just some gravel next to the Utah highway maintenance yard.