Imperial Salt Works Mine (Western Salt Company), Frink, Imperial Co., California, USA
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84): | 33° 20' 4'' North , 115° 39' 11'' West |
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Latitude & Longitude (decimal): | 33.33472,-115.65333 |
Other regions containing this locality: | Sonoran Desert, North America |
Köppen climate type: | BWh : Hot deserts climate |
A former Br-Na deposit/mine located in the N½ sec. 6, T10S, R13E, SBM, 3.1 km (1.9 miles) S of Frink and 12 miles NE of Niland. Discovered in 1930. MRDS database stated accuracy for this location is 500 meters.
Mineralization is hosted in rocks of the Pliocene Borrego Formation (clay, mud) and rocks of the Imperial Formation (lake sediments and evaporites). The ore body is a blanket formation. Local rocks include Quaternary alluvium and marine deposits.
Salt was obtained through crystallization by solar evaporation of brine, then brawn through a canal and to 2 separate series of ponds. Harvesting was done once a year by dragline scraper into dump rail cars. The mill capacity was 16,000 tons/year.
Mineral List
1 valid mineral.
Regional Geology
This geological map and associated information on rock units at or nearby to the coordinates given for this locality is based on relatively small scale geological maps provided by various national Geological Surveys. This does not necessarily represent the complete geology at this locality but it gives a background for the region in which it is found.
Click on geological units on the map for more information. Click here to view full-screen map on Macrostrat.org
Holocene - Pliocene 0 - 5.333 Ma ID: 2885167 | Quaternary alluvium and marine deposits Age: Cenozoic (0 - 5.333 Ma) Stratigraphic Name: Temescal Formation; Modesto Formation; Victor Formation; Alameda Formation; Aromas Red Sands; Bautista Beds; Brawley Formation; Borrego Formation; Burnt Canyon Breccia; Cabezon Fanglomerate; Campus Formation; Casitas Formation; Chemehuevi Formation; Corcoran Clay; Cushenbury Springs Formation; Dos Picachos Gravels; Dripping Springs Formation; Frazier Mountain Formation; Friant Formation; Harold Formation; Heights Fanglomerate; Hookton Formation (part); Huichica Formation; La Habra Formation; Manix Lake Beds; Mohawk Lake Beds; Montezuma Formation; Nadeau Gravel; Ocotillo Conglomerate; Orcutt Formation; Pacoima Formation; Pauba Formation; Peckham Formation; Pinto Formation; Resting Springs Formation; Riverbank Formation; Rohnerville Formation; San Dimas Formation; Shoemaker Gravel; Temecula Arkose; Battery Formation; Bay Point Formation; Colma Formation; Lindavista Formation; Lomita Marl; Merritt Sand; Millerton Formation; Palos Verdes Sand; San Pedro Formation; Sweitzer Formation; Timms Point Silt Description: Alluvium, lake, playa, and terrace deposits; unconsolidated and semi-consolidated. Mostly nonmarine, but includes marine deposits near the coast. Lithology: Major:{coarse alluvium}, Minor:{fine alluvium} Reference: Horton, J.D., C.A. San Juan, and D.B. Stoeser. The State Geologic Map Compilation (SGMC) geodatabase of the conterminous United States. doi: 10.3133/ds1052. U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 1052. [133] |
Data and map coding provided by Macrostrat.org, used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
References
USGS (2005), Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS): U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia, loc. file ID #10062705 & 10179723.
U.S. Bureau of Mines Minerals Availability System/Mineral Industry Location System (MAS/MILS): file #0060250407.