November 25 – January 16

A University of Minnesota study found that 78% of the salt applied to our roads and other surfaces ends up in groundwater, lakes, and wetlands. In a given year, 365,000 tons is used in the Twin Cities alone.  Currently, there is no feasible way to remove this salt once it is in the water.

Birds  Small birds like house sparrows and finches can die from consuming de-icing salt

Pets  All de-icing salt, regardless of how it is labeled, can make pets sick if they lick it off of their paws or inflame their paw pads

Drinking Water  According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, “Twenty-seven percent (27%) of monitoring wells in the Twin Cities metro area’s shallow aquifers had chloride concentrations that exceeded EPA drinking water guidelines, and 30% of Twin Cities wells had chloride concentrations that exceeded the water quality standard.”

Fish, frogs, and bugs  Higher amounts of chloride (salt) is toxic to fish, amphibians, and aquatic bugs.  This could impact the number of healthy fish in our area’s fishing lakes.

Plants  De-icing salt can kill plants and trees near roads, and can also damage plants that absorb salt-polluted water through their roots. It can also destroy aquatic plants, which are a valuable food source for wildlife in and near the water.

Soil  Soil that is loaded with salt is less likely to retain water or store nutrients, and it is also more prone to erosion.

Driveways, sidewalks, garages and roads  Deicing salt corrodes cement,brick, and stone. Nationwide, we spend over $5 billion annually to repair salt damage to roads and bridges.

Sources: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/pollutants-and-contaminants/chloride 
https://www.wisaltwise.com/Overview

What Can Be Done About It?

1.  Be part of the solution! Pick up a free bag of grit and learn how to use it. Every teaspoon of salt kept out of our lakes makes a long-term impact.
2. Encourage others to join you.
3. Advocate to your local businesses, places of worship, offices,HOAs, and anywhere with a parking lot or private roads. Encourage them to switch to grit or a reduced-sodium option. Low Salt, No Salt Minnesota has great handouts and resources to help convince larger properties.
4. Many cities and counties take MPCA Smart Salting training to reduce salt application on public roads. Let them know you appreciate their efforts and encourage them to continue seeking low-salt or no-salt solutions for winter road maintenance.