Wisconsin winters always bring us a little bit of every kind of weather. Near the end of 2019, we saw snow on Halloween, and grass on Christmas Day. We know that with the snow and ice we have received this winter, many residents, businesses, and schools use de-icing salt to melt the ice off of slippery sidewalks and driveways to keep us safe. Here’s advice for using salt on your property this winter from the Wisconsin Salt Wise website:
- Shovel
Clear walkways and other areas before the snow turns to ice. The more snow you remove manually, the less salt you will have to use and the more effective it will be. - Scatter
If you use salt, scatter it so that there is space between the grains. Believe it or not, a coffee mug of salt is enough to treat an entire 20-foot driveway or 10 sidewalk squares.
- Switch
When pavement temperatures drop below 15 degrees, salt won’t work. Switch to sand for traction or a different ice melter (PDF) that works at lower temperatures.
What’s so bad about salt?
Once salt is in the environment it doesn’t go away. It ends up in our lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands, putting our aquatic life at risk and endangering our freshwater resources. Our local lakes, waterways, groundwater and soil have been absorbing virtually all of the salt spread in the city for more than six decades. Chloride from salt is toxic to small aquatic life and degrades the natural eco-system of our lakes. Once salt is in our waterways, it does not break down – it’s here to stay. It only takes 1 teaspoon of salt to permanently pollute 5 gallons of water to a level that is toxic to freshwater ecosystems. There are also negative impacts to our infrastructure, our economy, and our pets (Wisconsin Salt Wise).
Here at Fox-Wolf, we are asking area residents to SWEEP THE SALT after it has done its job of melting snow and ice. Using the hashtag #WISweeptheSalt, you can tag your salt sweeping photos on social media and we will share them and promote your good work! Why sweep the salt? Sweeping up excess salt after the snow and ice melt helps keep it from running off into our storm drains, and lakes and rivers. Plus, you can save money by reusing it. Send us your salt sweeping photos this winter, or tag them on social media using #WISweeptheSalt and we’ll also add you to our Wall of Fame on our RenewOurWaters.org website!
Thank you to Hendrickson Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Oshkosh for sweeping the salt this winter!
This post was written by:
Kelly Reyer, Outreach Coordinator for the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.
E-mail: Kelly@fwwa.org Phone: 920-915-1502
