Salt Evaporation Pond

As water evaporates in the arid Andean air, the water becomes supersaturated and salt precipitates as various size crystals onto the inner surfaces of a pond's earthen walls and floor. The pond's keeper then closes the water-feeder notch and allows the pond to go dry. Within a few days the keeper carefully scrapes the dry salt from the sides and bottom, puts it into a suitable vessel, reopens the water-supply notch, and carries away the salt.

The salt pools are traditionally allotted to the citizens of Maras wishing to harvest salt. Usually there are many unused salt pools available to be farmed. Any prospective salt farmer needs only locate an empty currently unmaintained pond, consult with the local informal cooperative, learn how to keep a pond properly within the accepted communal system, and start working.

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