Image Credits: Carolyn Drake, National Geographic
In 2012, I worked on a science fair project to determine if various biodegradable dyes of multiple colors would increase the salt evaporation rate to increase the efficiency of potash mining at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Here is the link to the full paper I wrote
Here is the link to the abstract as published by the California State Science Fair
While the mining company hasn't adopted this method, it has affected the land-speed racing community at the Bonneville salt flats. To mark the centerlines of the ~1 to 6-mile courses, Bonneville Nationals Inc (BNI) used to use oil until the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) banned the practice due to environmental impact. This caused issues, as it was hard for 300+mph vehicles to maintain a straight path out.
Image Credits: Bonneville Racing
I proposed using the blue dye from my science project to fix this issue. One gallon of the dye colors 100,000 gallons of water, which was an economical option. In addition, the dye's commercial purpose is to mark waterways, so it is environmentally safe and starts to biodegrade in sunlight after a couple of weeks (meaning it stays visible without re-application for the entirety of Bonneville Speed Week.) A trial was performed for the BLM (Bureau of Land Management), which signed off on its ability to break down in the salt flat environment. I worked with members of BNI (Bonneville Nationals Inc) to develop a system where a person sits on the back of a truck traversing the length of the course, spraying the mixture out of a large (~100 gallon) tank. This method of marking the course centerline is still used today.
Right is a clip from the new Disney TV series "Cars on the Road," which occurs at the Bonneville salt flats. Near the end of the video, you can see the vehicle drive along the course, marked with the blue line. However, it isn't wholly accurate (not surprising for a fictional animation), as the blue line marks the center and not the course edge as it seems to be portrayed in the episode.