SNOWFLAKE - Natural wealth lies underground in Navajo and Apache counties.
It isn't gold or silver or even buried treasure but potash, an essential crop fertilizer.
"There's a large deposit of potash in central Navajo and Apache counties near the Petrified Forest," Senator Sylvia Allen told The Independent this week. "They've known it's been there for quite a while."
She stated the land has the type of soil and rock and the salty water in that area of the Coconino Aquifer that provide ideal conditions for producing potash.
Knowledge of the potash deposit hasn't been widely publicized. Allen stated people were staking claims as long ago as 10 years but the process was slowed down because the State Lands department wasn't mining-friendly. The state is also negotiating with the federal government to retain the mineral rights of land designated for the expansion of the Petrified Forest National Park. Although the expansion was approved by Congress in 2004, no funds have been designated for its purchase.
Besides potash being under the proposed national park lands, the deposit is also found under private land and, Allen said, a large amount is under state trust land. Exploration companies have drilled down to 1,000 feet where core samples show potash.
"The deposit is worth billions," she added. "It's so important the state will get its full value. It will really help our schools."
These state lands are held in trust for public schools and public institutions. Any funds received from those lands is supposed to be used for educational purposes.
Counties and other government entities will also benefit from various taxes both from the mines and auxiliary industries and businesses.
"The citizens of Navajo and Apache counties need to be excited to get this thing off the ground," she said. "It will create hundreds of jobs, not only in mining but in other industries that support it. It will also create billions in revenue for the landowners, the county and the state. I hope people will stay focused on this project.
"Natural resources are our wealth. We need to do everything we can to make this successful. We need to have an attitude of welcome in the county and work out any issues. We've got to have jobs. We've got to make things happen so the dollars will be spent here."
The major base industries currently in Navajo County are Catalyst Paper Mill and Cholla Power Plant and more are needed, she remarked.
Because of the depth of the potash, retrieving it will be done through underground mining. Allen stated the jobs are high paying with underground miners earning as much as $80 an hour.
"There will also be so many offshoot jobs and we need to stay ahead of it by training people to fill them," she explained.
According to Arizona Geological Survey, the average tonnage for the entire deposit could yield 682 million metric tons to 2.27 billion metric tons, depending on the grade of the potash.
Even if mining companies started developing the land for production today, mining wouldn't begin this year or next.
"It's a huge investment," Allen stated. "It will cost hundreds of millions dollars to develop a mine and a number of years to get a working mine but the industry will last for many years."
She said several Canadian-based companies have expressed interest in developing the property but she would like to see development done by an American company with as many local companies being involved as possible.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. farmers used 5.2 million metric tons of potash in 2007, 80 percent imported. At that time, U.S. potash production was limited to New Mexico, the largest U.S. producer, Utah and Michigan.
Reach the reporter at drescorla@wmicentral.com
© Copyright 2011, White Mountain Independent, Show Low, AZ.