We were under the impression that someone from the BLM was going to join in the conversation today. I guess they must be pretty leery of someone saying something that could cause them some headaches.
I can only imagine the difficulty of "studying" the salt flats. I didn't come on the scene until the mid eightys but I do remember reading in the book Salt of the Earth, which is a memoir of Ab Jenkins, that even back in the late 20's and early 30's that the top layer of salt was so loose that they could not run. Now to be sure, the salt thickness was much greater back in the day but the salt surface itself has been changing in terms of how hard or soft it is, for hundreds of years. Ask the Donner party about it.
In my mind there is no question that years and years of train cars leaving Wendover full of potassium chloride has depleted the salt crust. As recent as 2004 when they were filming the Worlds Fastest Indian, the filming location was toward the mountain side of the normal pit area and went 3 miles north from there. Now that area is nothing but mud, no real salt at all.
I do remember that when the pumping project was first proposed and accepted that Rick Vesco was allowed to go on the south side of the railroad tracks and he took a sample of salt from one of the evaporation ponds. They had to use a chain saw and they cut a sample that was approx 12"x12"x12". He then took the sample to his motorcycle shop in Brigham City, Ut. and they mounted the sample so they could do a burn out test with a motorcycle. As I recall, Rick said they spent several minutes with the rear tire spinning on the sample and the salt was so solid and bound together the tire just left a black mark and lots of loose rubber when they were done. I remember thinking, boy if we can get that waste salt pumped back over to the flats everything will be golden. I don't think is has produced the desired results. On the other hand, how bad would it be if nothing had been done? Just rambling thoughts of mine.
