Soda Lake

Soda Lake. . , Physical forces began shaping the Carrizo into a distinct geographic feature about 30 million years ago. As the bordering Temblor and Caliente mountain ranges were pushed upward, movements along the San Andreas and San Juan faults caused the land in between to subside, forming a closed basin. Runoff from the adjacent slopes collected and created a vast lake which gradually filled with soil forming sediments. Soda Lake is all that remains of this prehistoric sea. This 3,000 acre alkali vieland provides habitat for migratory birds, waterfowl, shorebirds and brine shrimp. , Sodium Sulphate Mining at Soda Lake , Research suggests that Native Americans used the salts in Soda Lake long before the lake was mined by cattle ranches for sältlicks and preserving meats. Commercial mining occurred intermittently from the 1880's to 1940. , Prior to 1908, the Carrisa Chemical Company expended $60,000 on a 600 ton per month capacity processing plant to recover sodium sulphate. They also constructed a narrow-gauge railroad on the lakebed. The railroad ran from the north end of Soda Lake to a refining plant on the south shore. , Minerals were mined by digging below the crust into the black mud. Water was pumped into two small sections of the lake to dissolve the crude salts. The brine was then pumped into two earthen tanks, about 80 square feet and 40 inches deep, for solar evaporation. The salts were crushed and washed with mineral oil. After washing, the minerals were dried in centrifuges, sacked and hauled to McKittrick for distribution..