Stroud Water Research Center
Learn how excessive salt affects life in freshwater streams and how a local community group is raising awareness and changing behavior around salt.
How salty is too salty? Road salt keeps travelers safe in winter but can pose a serious threat to nearby streams. Episode 5 in the “Stories from the Streams” series from WHYY TV12.
In some areas, salt is necessary for safe winter driving and walking. But we have to decide how much is too much and what price we are paying for it.
Jackson, J.K., and D.H. Funk. 2018. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 374(1764).
When StateImpact Pennsylvania wanted to understand how our addiction to road salt is impacting the environment, they came to Stroud Water Research Center.
During thaws and rain events, road salt is carried into streams where it can have chronic and sometimes acute effects on biological communities.
Salt helps keep winter roads safe. But when snow melts, the salt runs off pavement and can end up in waterways.
Fresh groundwater, where some drinking water comes from, recharges streams. Scientists are concerned about early signs that groundwater sources are getting saltier.