Road Salt is Polluting Fresh Water

Salt keeps us safe on icy roads — but it’s also quietly harming waterways.

IT’S TIME TO

Since 1967, Stroud Water Research Center has focused on one thing — fresh water.
We advance knowledge and stewardship of freshwater systems through global research, education, and watershed restoration.

What We Do

Freshwater Research

Environmental Education

Watershed Restoration

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Latest News

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High-frequency soil redox data provide novel insights into biogeochemical hot spots and hot moments

Sena, M.G., B. Joshi, M.M. Rahman, M. Peipoch, J. Kan, E. Moore, M. Afsar, Y. Jin, D. Dwivedi, E. Peck, and S. Inamdar. 2025. Hydrological Processes 39(12): e70367.

WVU Tech, Millersville, and Stroud Center Secure Major Joint Grants for Clean Water Curriculum Research and Education, Call for Educator Involvement

The ENVISION project will bring cutting-edge water science into schools across West Virginia and Delaware over the next four years.

2025 Fall Salt Snapshot data map screenshot

What the Fall Salt Snapshot Revealed About Our Groundwater

Most stream sites sampled this fall exceeded at least one environmental chloride guideline — months after the last road salt was applied.

Floating monitoring stations installed at the inlet and outlet of a drinking water reservoir in Wilmington, Delaware.

Algae on the Rise

Stroud Center’s monitoring supports safer drinking water in Wilmington, Delaware, by streaming real-time data to the city’s treatment facility.

Stroud Water Research Center is an 2025 Anthem Awards Bronze Winner for the Cut the Salt campaign.

“Cut the Salt” Campaign Wins Anthem Award for Social Impact

The award is a testament to Stroud Center staff who help bring science and outreach to life, and would not be possible without our community of partners, volunteers, and donors.

Remembering Bill Elkins

It is with deep gratitude and sadness that Stroud Water Research Center remembers and celebrates William “Doc” Elkins, M.D.

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Featured Initiatives and Partnerships

WikiWatershed® web tools offer watershed data visualization, geospatial analysis capabilities, and science-based predictions of human impacts on stormwater runoff and water quality.

The Water Quality mobile app is a water-monitoring data-collection and learning tool designed for use by educators and their students, citizen scientists, and researchers.

EnviroDIY™ is a community where members ask and answer questions and network within interest groups to develop do-it-yourself environmental science and monitoring devices.

The Society for Freshwater Science Taxonomic Certification Program ensures skilled persons are providing aquatic invertebrate identifications in North America.

The Leaf Pack Network® is an international network of teachers, students, and citizen monitors using a simple experiment to determine the health of their local streams.

The Consortium for Scientific Assistance to Watersheds provides free technical assistance to Pennsylvania-based watershed and conservation organizations.