WHAT ARE THESE Amazing Ponds in Utah??

People say there's nothing more disconcerting than looking out of a plane window and seeing something "unexpected."

And what they're usually talking about is an engine being on fire or an alien space ship dangling in the clouds.

But sometimes you look out and you see something out in the middle of desolation that startles you.

That's what this is.

Out near Moab there's an amazingly colorful grouping of ponds that are in stark contrast to the burnt landscape around them.

According to Geology.Utah.gov:

"If you have ever visited Dead Horse Point State Park, you may have noticed bright blue ponds glistening off to the east. These are not a mirage but are solar evaporation ponds used in the process of mining potash. The mine is currently owned and operated by Intrepid Potash Inc., and the ponds cover about 400 acres of land 20 miles southwest of Moab." (Full Article)

Those are some huge ponds.

Potash is basically a kind of salt that they end up using for fertilizer, soap, batteries and a bunch of other stuff.

Extracting potash is pretty intense because it's way the heck down in the earth. So they have to use wells that go 3,000 feet below the ground. They pump water down and back up and it comes out with the potash.

These ponds are out near Dead Horse Point State Park. I don't know how close you can get to them or if they allow visitors. And it's probably coolest to see from an airplane anyway. Enjoy!