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Smart Salting
Chloride is a pollutant that gets into our lakes, streams, wetlands, and groundwater and endangers the health of aquatic organisms, damages vegetation, and can even impact human health. Most of this environmental chloride comes from the use of road salt to deice, for water softening, and from fertilizer, manure, and dust suppressants. Once a water body is polluted with salt, it is virtually impossible to remove it. All it takes is 1 teaspoon of salt to contaminate 5 gallons of water permanently! Salt is of particular concern in the Elm Creek watershed because Elm Creek and the South Fork of Rush Creek are impaired by high levels of chloride. The chloride impairment affects fish, plants, and invertebrates that live in and near the streams; high chloride concentrations disrupt organisms’ ability to function and can result in a stream devoid of life. |
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Tips to Minimize Salt Use
- Shovel. The more snow and ice you remove manually, the less salt you will have to use and the more effective it can be. Whether you use a shovel, snow blower, snow plow, or ice scraper, get out there as early as you can and keep up with the storm. You may even decide that salt isn't needed.
- 15°F is too cold for salt. Most salts stop working at this temperature. Use sand instead for traction, but remember that sand does not melt ice. Use the reference table below to apply the correct product for the conditions.
- Slow down. Drive for the conditions and make sure to give plow drivers plenty of space to do their work.
- Be patient. Just because you don't see salt on the road doesn't mean it hasn't been applied. These products take time to work.
- More salt does not mean more melting. Use less than 4 pounds of salt per 1,000 square feet (an average parking space is about 150 square feet). One pound of salt is approximately a heaping 12-ounce coffee mug. Consider purchasing a hand-held spreader to help you apply a consistent amount.
- Sweep up extra. If salt or sand is visible on dry pavement it is no longer doing any work and will be washed away. Use this salt or sand somewhere else or throw it away.
