Did you know?
It only takes 1 teaspoon of salt to pollute 5 gallons of water to a level that is toxic for freshwater ecosystems.
Reducing salt use is key to decreasing chloride loads. Follow these steps to right-size your salt use:
Shovel: Clear walkways and other areas before the snow turns to ice. The more snow removed manually, the less salt you will need and the more effective it will be.
Scatter: When using salt, scatter it so that there is space between the grains. A 12-ounce coffee mug of salt is enough to treat an entire 20-foot driveway or 10 sidewalk squares.
Switch: Salt won’t work when pavement temperatures drop below 15 degrees. Switch to sand for traction or a different ice melter that works at lower temperatures.
Check out the Salt Wise resources available from this Wisconsin organization to help keep salt out of Michigan’s waterways too!
Credit for this information goes to the Wisconsin DNR and Wisconsin Salt Wise.