Moab Potash Documentary || Did You See Moab Potash Ponds In Utah? 🇺🇸

🌄 What are Potash Ponds in Utah?

The bright blue ponds are actually potash evaporation ponds owned by Intrepid Potash, Inc. They have three mines in the western United States with the potash ponds in Moab, Utah, being the most well-known. There are potash ponds in Carlsbad, New Mexico, but there are actually two potash ponds in Utah. The other, lesser-known ponds are located in Wendover, Utah.

Texas Gulf built the plant in the 1960s, but the system changed after an explosion trapped 25 miners, killing most of them. This is when they started using solution mining and solar evaporation, giving us the famous bright blue ponds.

Potash refers to several types of potassium salts including potassium chloride (KCl). While it is mostly used in fertilizer in the United States, it can also be used in glass, ceramics, soap, and batteries.

The potash mine is over 3,000 feet below the ground. They pump in water from the Colorado River to create a brine. Then they pump the brine up into the evaporation ponds once it becomes heavily concentrated.

Once the water evaporates, the potash from each Texas Gulf potash pond is harvested. Once harvested, Intrepid Potash uses it in fertilizer that is used across the United States. The Utah Geological Survey goes into much more detail for anyone who wants to learn more about the process.

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