The mudboils in Tully Valley are caused by artesian pressure. To reduce mudboil sediment discharges from the mudboil depression area to Onondaga Creek, remedial measures were implemented. This includes installing depressurizing wells along Onondaga Creek and around the mudboil depression area to decrease the artesian pressure. Since the majority of mudboils in Tully Valley are located near the Onondaga Creek mudboil passageway and mudboil tributary diversion channel, the majority of the depressurizing wells is placed near those locations as a result. A dam was constructed in Tully Valley to create a settling captivity were detained water also maintains hydraulic pressure over the mudboils and constructing a dam also helps decrease …show more content…
Salt solution near Onondaga Lake formed as a result of the dissolution of halite from the Tully Valley. The salty groundwater naturally flowed from the high elevation at the southern end to the low elevation at the northern end. According to Kappel, the artesian pressure in Tully Valley is exacerbated by dissolution of a halite bed below confining beds of shale, till and glacial sediment. As a result, mudboils in the valley, ultimately flow saline water and will contribute both saltwater and sediment to Onondaga Creek. The salt marshes along the coast of Onondaga Lake are inadequate for the quantity of salt needed to produce soda ash. As a result, the mining of salt brine began in Tully Valley. Mudboils with an enclosed brackish water source and halite deposits in the Onondaga lake which can be a source for soda ash production. Soda-Ash is produced from the salt solution in Tully Valley. This process is known as Solvay's process as it is used for industrial production of Soda ash this is …show more content…
Discharge rates for most wells ranged, on average, from a few gallons per minute (gal/min) to tens of gallons per minute. Although most wells were completed with a 10-foot well screen in the most permeable depth interval penetrated by each borehole, the amount of water that discharged from a depressurizing well was dependent on the permeability of the sediment at that location—the sediment stratigraphy (layering) varies across the mudboil area. In some cases, the well was screened in a very fine to fine, silty sand and discharged clear water at rates of 2 to less than 10 gal/min. In some places where the well was screened in medium, silty sand, the discharge ranged from 10 to 30 gal/min. Discharge varied seasonally, ranging between 30 to 50 percent greater than and 30 to 50 percent less than the average flow rate. (Kappel,