Winter Chloride Watchers
Across the United States, more than 20 million tons of salt is spread on roads to help keep driving conditions safe. When the snow and ice melt, the salt dissolves and then travels into our freshwater resources where it negatively impacts plants, wildlife and is extremely corrosive to infrastructure. Unfortunately, 475 miles of Illinois streams were listed as “impaired” in 2018 due to elevated levels of chloride from road salt.
Friends is partnered with the The Conservation Foundation and the National Great Rivers RiverWatch to contribute to state wide chloride monitoring. Monitoring chloride levels in your local area is easy to do and takes very little time to test the water and send your information to our scientists. If you are interested in becoming a Winter Chloride Watcher, please sign up for the CREW volunteer newsletter here, or contact the Conservation Foundation directly.
The data collected is publically available with a synopsis available here.
