How a 14" Hole Accidentally Created The Deepest Lake In Louisiana
And turned it from a freshwater delight into a saltwater hole
On the morning of Thursday, November 20, 1980, miners working within the Diamond Crystal Salt Company located near Lake Peigneur in Southern Louisiana were alarmed to find water rising around them. The salt mine, which had been in operation for over sixty years, was not supposed to get wet. Salt does not interact with water in a way conducive to mining. The entire mine was being held up by Biblical pillars of salt. Water would quickly melt these supports and cause the mine to collapse. As the men made for the exits, they had no idea of the horror that was taking place above their heads.
At the same time that the men from the Diamond Crystal Salt Company were evacuating their mine, a different group of men were evacuating a drilling platform located on the lake above. These men had been drilling for oil, which is often found near salt domes. The same salt dome that was being mined for salt was also being probed for oil. Their drill bit got caught, and when they freed it, the platform lurched with a loud pop, and the men quickly made their way to shore.
Unbeknownst to everyone, the drill had pierced the upper layers of the salt mine located below Lake Peigneur. The hole was only…
