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How-To: Salt Wisely

When it’s cold and snowing outside, don’t be so salty.

Ice scrapers, shovels, snowblowers, sand, and salt. Wisconsinites have a whole arsenal of weapons to fight slippery conditions. Allison Madison MS’11 is here to remind winter warriors to reach for the salt last — and to use just a pinch when the time comes.

According to Madison, program manager for Wisconsin Salt Wise, just a teaspoon of salt is enough to pollute five gallons of water. “Salt reduces rates of growth, reduces rates of reproduction, and makes freshwater organisms more susceptible to parasites. Think of it like a stressor,” Madison says. “If you or I put tons of salt on our food every meal, eventually, it’s a stressor on our system. Each winter, we apply one to two million tons of salt to roads, parking lots, and sidewalks across Wisconsin. All that salt ends up in our water.”

Oversalting also contributes to other Wisconsin woes: rusty vehicles, frequent road construction and repair work, less productive soil, and algae blooms in our lakes. At Wisconsin Salt Wise, Madison works with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and a broad network of municipalities, watershed advocacy groups, and snow removal companies to limit the environmental and economic stress caused by salt, while still ensuring safe roads and sidewalks. Below, she shares a few tips on how you can help.

Shoveling comes first.

“The number one [thing you can do] is getting out there to shovel or snow blow. Get out early and often so you can prevent that hardpack from forming and turning into ice.” And if there’s just a dusting of snow, a broom will do the trick.

Scrape away.

If a layer of ice does form, break out the scraper. “There’s one called the Ultimate Scraper, and it looks just like a big metal spatula. It can get under the hardpack and chip away at it.”

Watch the weather.

The right conditions may be able to save you some elbow grease. “If it’s going to be warming, maybe you shovel the majority of the snow and the sun or warming temps take care of the rest.”

Sand is your friend — and the environment’s, too.

Sand improves traction, and it’s cheaper and easier to get than alternatives like seed, ash, or kitty litter. “Anything that we put down is going to make its way into our water. If you use sand, try to sweep it afterwards or sweep it into your lawn so it doesn’t end up first in a storm drain and eventually your local lake or stream.”

A little goes a long way.

When it does come time to break out the salt, you probably don’t need as much as you might think. When scattered evenly, a coffee mug of salt is typically enough to de-ice a 20-foot driveway or 10 sidewalk squares. Pavement temperature is also a factor — if the temperature of the surface in question is below 15 degrees, salt won’t do the job. This guide can help determine which deicing solution works best for particular conditions.

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