You probably don’t know that vast salt mines operated by Morton Salt are sitting beneath Lake Erie in Fairport Harbor, just about a half an hour outside of Cleveland. And even if you knew that, you definitely haven’t been down there and likely haven’t seen pictures of what it’s like. Photographer Ricky Rhodes took the photographs in this gallery for a newsletter for K+S, Morton’s parent company. They give a glimpse into the size and scope of the operation, which mines 1.3 million pounds of salt each year and began in 1958. The operation includes some 170 workers and the main area, including many of the veins and corridors you see here, is located some three miles out into and below the lake. To read more on the process, check out this piece from Wired.
