Pumping Status

[RogerL]

Does anyone have an update on the status of the salt pumping project this year? Curious if it is proceeding as in the past few years. Thanks.

[Glen]

They are supposed to start pumping this month

[Seldom Seen Slim]

http://www.saltflats.com/save%20the%20salt.html

There's a link to the USFRA site where they keep a "Save the Salt Pumping Report" subject open.  It's not real fresh -- reports what Glen already said.  And now you know where to check to find out, too.

[RogerL]

the USFRA info is two years out of date.

[JackD]

the USFRA info is two years out of date.

Perhaps it is not getting the attention it deserves ?

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Well, not quite two years out of date -- fourteen months, maybe, but not two years.  Whatever, all I can do is offer the link -- it's up to others to freshen it.  I did read somewhere a newer report -- but don't remember where that was.

Sorry I don't have all the information.  Up here we don't have salt, except on the roads.  We do have frozen lakes, though -- they look a lot like the Salt, just colder.

[Tom Shannon]

Roger;

Our next USFRA monthly mtg is Wed Feb 7,2007. Hopefully Larry Volk will be present and give us an update.Seem to remember that last mos. mtg , :-omentioned that canals were full? Wes, your wisdom & wit is needed!

[DallasV]

Howdy,

My father is going out to Intrepid this Thur. or Fri. to check out how things are progressing. The plan as of now is Intrepid will start pumping in Feb. and pump for 6 weeks. With no problems/break downs this should put down in the ballpark of 350,000 to 400,000 tons of salt.

On a side note: Intrepid is under no contractual obligation to pump, they are doing this for us voluntarily. Cheers to the good folks at Intrepid.

If you have questions you need answered about save the salt you can call Larry Volk (801) 558-3888 

[dwarner]

This is a copy of the StS letter that was submitted for the rulebook:

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR
SAVE THE SALT BOARD 2007
Here is the nitty gritty for the Save The Salt project. Intrepid Mining is going to pump brine onto the Salt Flats starting February 2007. They are estimating to pump 350,000 to 400,000 tons of salt back onto the Salt Flats, which will take roughly four to six weeks. Your Save The Salt Board is looking forward to seeing what improvements this will make to the race course. Although we are hopeful for a great race course, all of us need to understand that there are multiple factors that affect the condition of the Salt Flats. Mother Nature plays a major role in the condition of the salt from year to year. We all remember how bad the conditions were in 2005 and how great they were in 2006?the difference in the racing surface between the two years was strictly because of the weather. Be assured that your Save The Salt Board will do everything in its power to ensure the best salt humanly possible. In order to do this we will continue to apply pressure on the BLM to create ?mass balance? (the same amount of salt that is removed is replaced). We hope the 2007 Bonneville racing season is the best one yet!
Your Save The Salt Board

DW

[RogerL]

Thanks Dan. Appreciate all the hard work the STS board puts into saving the salt flats. Now if you all would just take on the weather, maybe the we could rest a little easier. See you in August.

[Bob Drury]

Maybe we need to start a "Save the Motel Rooms" organization next.  Thanks again to Save The Salt, and I hope everyone remembers to donate money to them, and of course Landracing.com. 

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Speaking of "Save the Motel Rooms", I have received no response from my attempt to initiate an informal conversation with a person I know in W. Wendover -- about the room situation for racers.  In case you missed my comment a week or two ago, I'm not trying to wheedle extra roms, but rather to explore whether they (the entire community) might consider working with us and other large groups (i.e. golf tournaments, for example) to better coordinate dates so we don't have no rooms available -- like is forecast for this year's SpeedWeek.

I'll continue to hope that we can at least discuss the situation, and I'll continue to keep all up to date.

[John Nimphius]

Slim

I think the event coordination idea is a good approach.  I hope you can get some interest going.  To the extent our folks cause problems (salt tracking, etc.) it?s time for awareness and self policing to minimize these issues.

John

[JackD]

You can bet the SCTA has addressed this issue for the history of both the event and town as they both grow.
SCTA and the participants have all the rooms the town and it's economy will allow.
There might come a day when the individual hotels will not speak to the hundreds of racers with all the same problems and elect to grant a block of rooms to SCTA to sublet as they see fit.
That day might be now.
There are some locals that depend on the salt mining project for a living and never fail to speak against the racers.
There was an interview published in the local paper of a prominent local citizen that blamed the tracking away of the salt under racers vehicles for the reduction in usable surface.
It aint easy.

[Bob Drury]

Slim, I do not personally think that the golf and poker tournements have anything to do with the lack of rooms for racers.  I, along with two other friends were told by reservation takers that they simply do not want our business.  "Economic discrimination" is probably the best way to describe it.