Saving the Salt

[Dynoroom]

I have recently heard that the salt level in the Saldero Loop (behind the dyke) is significantly higher (10") than the surface we race on on the other side of the dyke.....

[kiwi belly tank]

No it's not. If you go to the BLM gap you can see the difference, it is still flowing into the loop by about 3 or 4 inches. Beside the old bridge there is an open hole that I reached in to all the way up to my shoulder that was just salt crystals. I don't know if it was a canal at one time or just a hole, I just know it was deep.
  Sid.

[Sumner]

I have recently heard that the salt level in the Saldero Loop (behind the dyke) is significantly higher (10") than the surface we race on on the other side of the dyke.....

That would go along with a current plan that STS, the Utah Alliance and Intrepid have agreed on if the BLM goes along with it.  They want to make brine south of the highway and then pump it through the Saldero Loop hoping that it will become more concentrated, gaining additional salt in the loop.  From there it would go out onto the international course.

Sid is there a possibility that the opening you are talking about might be lower on the "Loop" side but that overall the interior of the "Loop" is higher than the race surface?  Even the race area goes up and down 'some inches' depending on where the wind blows the water and were evaporation takes place.

Sumner

[kiwi belly tank]

Due to a pm I need to clarify my last statement about the (10" height) thing, I believe the words thickness & height have been confused in this situation.
The salt is definitely thicker inside the dyke but the surface level is still lower than the flats, hence the salt is migrating through the gap into the loop.
  Sid.  

[kiwi belly tank]

A picture is worth a thousand words, I wish I had one right now.
The manifold in that location linking the north & south sides under the freeway is actually located outside the east end of the loop & there is a gap in the dyke right beside the freeway.
There has always been three low points in the dyke, one at the old bridge site, one by the freeway & one about half way between those two that the racers used to aim for in the old course days if they couldn't stop.
Now that the level is built up inside the dyke it is gelling close to the level outside the dyke & these low points you can actually drive through now.
  Sid.

[Milwaukee Midget]

That would go along with a current plan that STS, the Utah Alliance and Intrepid have agreed on if the BLM goes along with it.  They want to make brine south of the highway and then pump it through the Saldero Loop hoping that it will become more concentrated, gaining additional salt in the loop.  From there it would go out onto the international course.

Okay, I've been trying to stay in the loop on this, I'm reading everything I can get my hands on, I'm in contact with my Senator - but this plan of which you speak - when was it agreed upon, and where can I find a copy of it?  Is this separate from the plan that was referenced to at PRI last Saturday as becoming available mid January?

[RogerL]

there needs to be some clarification. the UA and STS are finalizing a plan with the help of a Utah based engineering firm, as mentioned at the PRI show. it will hopefully be completed and ready for public consumption after the first of the year, at least that is our plan. also need to be very clear, intrepid has not seen our plan and they certainly have not agreed to anything at this point. our intentions are to provide the blm, intrepid and the political leaders working on our behalf a copy as soon as it's ready for prime time review. there will be no advance looks prior to it's completion.

[Speed Limit 1000]

Roger, Thank you very much for the update. Keeping us in the loop about all the hard work everyone is doing to try to save the salt.

John

[RogerL]

let me offer a little more info to consider. the plan we are putting together consists of a number of suggestions by some smart folks that have had a long association and experience with the bonneville salt flats. the plan is not necessarily to be cast in stone, take it or leave it, but it is intended to start a serious dialog that can produce a responsible, on going restoration plan. some suggestions that have been out forth are one time fixes, but we need a plan that continues, let's say for an extended period of time, probably beyond the horizon for most of you here. when we (the ua along with the sts) started on on this effort many moths ago we felt we needed to be able to articulate what kinds of things might be doable and that did not include shutting down the mining operation. that fact of the matter is, the salt that is on the south side of the highway belongs to intrepid, it is on their property, like it or not. we have uncovered information that indicates there is as much as 116 million tons of salt in pond 5 alone. at a recovery of 2 million tons per year, that is a 50+ year inventory. not saying we can or should get it all but it is a place to start discussions.

additionally, in our numerous discussions with our congressional leaders, we have been asked, "what do you want?". so the plan is going to lay out what it is we suggest be done to reclaim bonneville. we have to be able to deliver our "want list" to the political folks that are willing to listen and help if we want to continue their support. in that regards, once the plan is out and public, it will be extremely helpful if the racers would get serious about contacting your senate and house representatives to solicit support. as we did a while back in the "take action" of our website, save-the-salt-org, there will be information and sample letters for you to use. i know some of you did write your representatives earlier, i can assure that helps. another round will further the cause. we have more traction in washington dc to help resolve the issue than at any time in the past couple of decades. we certainly cannot guarantee a positive outcome but we do have a shot at it. again, we may not like the politics necessary but it is the only way and it is showing some signs of working.

[RogerL]

Just received this from our Nevada officials, Senator Harry Reid, Senator Dean Heller and Governor Brian Sandoval. The support continues to build!

[Glen]

Roger
Looking good.
Thanks
Glen

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Roger, with all due respect -- a serious question.  Since Congress and so on is about to recess for the holidays -- should we write now, risking maybe our letters will get buried in the closed-office time?  Or should we write at the first of the year?  Or both?

Seriously -- I'd hate to have to wonder if mine got through.  Got a clue for us?  Thanks  - and thanks for keeping us up to date.

[RogerL]

regards to the letter writing campaign, i suggest holding off until after the first of the year. the thinking is, once the plan is out for discussion, that would be a good time to get after it. as mentioned above, i expect we will have specifics posted on our websites 'take action" page. we will of course put a post on landracing as well.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Roger, that letter is huge in that it puts the most prominent Democrat in the Senate in the racer's column, and demonstrates our cause to be above partisanship.

I think Reid's signature alone has opened up a lot of political potential.

[RogerL]

you are right on chris. it can be argued senator reid is still the most powerful man in congress. his office has been very interested in our cause and helpful. i will also say that all the congressional folks we have contacted representing utah and nevada have shown support. governors as well. previous save the salt efforts have never had this kind of bi-partison support. senator reid's staff is one of the ones that is asking for our plan. i know you have been in contact with one of your senators from wisconsin, that really helps the overall effort. thanks. hopefully others will follow the lead.