Winter maintenance tips for clean water

Now that winter has officially arrived in Minnesota, its time to talk about salt. Thats right, road salt. Every winter in Minnesota, thousands of tons of road salt are spread on icy sidewalks, streets and parking lots. When the ice melts, this salt washes down storm drains directly into local streams and lakes. Road salt contains sodium and chloride, both of which can cause long-term harm to fish, insects, plants and local water resources. And it only takes one teaspoon of road salt to permanently pollute five gallons of water!

To help readers navigate the world of alternative de-icers and winter maintenance techniques, weve compiled this list of resources from some of our local partners.

We also recommend this excellent training video, Improved Winter Maintenance: Good Choices for Clean Water, produced by the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization with local consultant Connie Fortin. The video offers easy pointers about tools, techniques and products we all can use to keep our streets and sidewalks safe while also keeping the health of local waters in mind.