Salty Streams

Did you know that local St Louis streams have been measured to have salt concentrations higher then sea water?

This is a major problem for our local ecosystems because the freshwater critters in the creak can not withstand high salt levels. If the critters all die there is no food for the fish and birds that eat them. The stream becomes out of balance and can cause algae blooms. Another bad side effect is more mosquitoes because there will be fewer predators of mosquito aquatic larvae. Dragonfly and damselfly larvae that live in our local streams are sensitive to stream pollutants.

These high salt levels usually occur in winter when roadways are salted in preparation for an upcoming ice storm. As the snow and ice melt, all that salt goes into the storm sewers and flows into the creek. One of the worst sources of stream contamination is from road salt piles that are left outside uncovered. If you see an uncovered salt pile report it to  the sewer district and they will get a team out to get the problem resolved. 

Ongoing research in St Louis County involves citizen scientists across St Louis that measure water quality throughout the winter. I joined the monitoring group a few years ago and adopted my local stream and go out once a week to monitor which sometimes involves breaking the ice to get a sample. One benefit I get from this weekly trip to the creek is a chance to take in the beauty of the ice formations at the edge of the water and occasional visits from ducks and other wildlife. It is easy to forget to stop and enjoy the serenity of the outdoors in winter when I'm trying to keep my fingers from freezing.

There are several things you can do to help keep salt out of our creeks. 

Use only as much salt as you need on your driveway and sidewalks and try switching to using sand or cat litter instead. When you visit a large parking lot at your school, church, or gym speak to the staff about the impact of salt on the local stream. Talk to your community about using brine instead of salt on streets because it is less harmful and is also usually cheaper. Too much salt can also kill lawns, rust cars, and damage roads.