Salt trucks are ubiquitous on New Jersey roads in the winter. While salt can help prevent the accumulation of ice and snow, road salt runoff is taking a toll on our freshwater streams and lakes. Join The Watershed Institute for this Technical Friday session where we will focus on rising salinity in freshwater ecosystems due to brining and salting roads. We will also explore solutions for municipalities, departments of transportation, and homeowners to reduce their salt footprint.
Erin Stretz, Assistant Director of Science at the Watershed and coordinator of the New Jersey Watershed Watch Network, will talk about road salt use in New Jersey and its impacts on freshwater, then review the data collected by the New Jersey Salt Watch program over the last two winter seasons. She will show trends in chloride levels in response to road salt events in preparation for winter storms and show where levels are exceeding regulatory water quality standards throughout the state.
Deborah Kratzer, Environmental Specialist at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, will offer the regulatory perspective on chloride exceedances and share tips for individuals and municipalities to put their local freshwaters on a reduced sodium diet this winter.
