Salt & Sand Use in the Winter

Winter is Here! We have gotten a few winter storms now and experienced some icy conditions. With that, out comes the salt and sand on pavement to prevent slips and falls. Salt is tried and true way to melt ice and sand adds traction during the really cold conditions. These are great ways to improve safety on roads, sidewalks, driveways, and parking lots, but they do come at a cost . . . to the environment. Sand adds excess sediment to our waters that can smother habitat for aquatic organisms. Salt is a chemical that is toxic to aquatic life at high concentrations. Salt stays in the water virtually forever and can only be removed by reverse osmosis. While we do not discourage the use of salt and sand, we promote the conservative use as to not be harmful to our waterways.

Friendly reminders on salt and sand use:

• Sand provides traction, does not melt snow and ice
• Mechanical removal snow is the best way to avoid icy build-ups (salt NOT effective with 3 inches of snow accumulation)
• Do not apply salt/sand mix. Use salt and salt separately as necessary, depending on condition
• Salt needs TIME to work (at 15F, one pound of salt needs 60 mins to melt 6 lbs of ice) 
• Apply sand in extreme cold when salt is ineffective.
• Salt (Sodium Chloride) is only effective at or above 15F
• Store salt and sand in a covered container indoors. 
• When applying salt, go for the pattern below:  

*General rule of thumb for salt use: 1 pound of salt fits into a 12 oz coffee mug and is enough to cover 60-70 feet of sidewalk or 20 feet of driveway. You can always add more salt if needed*
For more info, visit https://www.wisaltwise.com/. 
Have a safe and happy winter!

It's starting to look like WINTER!

We finally got a good layer of snow on the ground and cold air coming through this week. For kids that may mean fun times outside building snowmen and sledding. For adults, that may mean slippery roads and shoveling. If you are the one shoveling and de-icing the sidewalks and driveway around your property, here are some friendly reminders:

• Salt (Sodium Chloride) is only effective at pavement temperatures 15 degrees F or above. Salting sidewalks at lower temperatures will NOT melt the ice.
• Sand is an abrasive; it DOES NOT melt snow and ice. However, it will provide traction on icy walkways
• If you use a 50/50 salt/sand mix, you're generally either half right or half wrong. Using a salt/sand mix leads to over application of both materials. 
• Always remove snow after it has fallen! This is the best way to avoid icy build-ups and avoid relying on ill-effective de-icers for sidewalk safety (de-icers not effective with 3 inches of snow accumulation).

And don't forget to enjoy the snow once the shoveling is done! Be in tuned with your inner child and go sledding/tubing or build a snowman!

Winterize Your Rain Barrel

Now is the time to winterize your rain barrel (ideally before first frost). Rain barrels, especially the plastic Orbis barrels we’ve sold, are not meant to stay outside all winter long. If left in freezing temperatures, any residual water will freeze and crack various parts of the barrel. Rain barrel owners have to make sure that the barrels are properly stored during the harsh Superior winters. Here are winterizing instructions from Orbis:

Discontinue use of rain barrel BEFORE the first frost by:

(1) Open the faucet to drain most of the water

(2) Remove the lid and tip the barrel to empty any residual water (overflow hose can remain connected)

(3) Clean both lid and barrel using brush with dishwashing detergent and warm water

(4) Clean screen by running hose onto it from the underside of the lid

(5) Store the barrel upside down so water cannot accumulate (preferably inside a shed/garage)

Same rules apply to rain barrels you may have created. These may even be less fussy in the winter because typically spouts connected to them are metal would less likely crack compared to the plastic ones that come in the Orbis system. 

Ice formation will damage rain barrels

Winter road conditions

Good morning Superior!  It warmed up a little bit today....not that you'd normally call 10 degrees warm, but after the last few days, it feels like a heat wave.  There's a lot more snow on the ground today, which can lead to some dangerous walking and driving conditions.  Remember, when it's really cold outside, NaCl does not melt snow and ice on the roads.  For more information on salt's impacts on the environment, see our past blog post about winter salt use here. 
For road conditions in Wisconsin and Minnesota, check out:

Wisconsin 511

Minnesota 511


Please drive safely and remember to clear your sidewalks so you can walk safely too!

-Written by Jillian Schubert Edwards

Cute, Cuddly Contaminators: Pick up Pet Waste to Prevent Pollution

It’s a cold day in Superior.  Pet owners, you’re probably not looking forward to walking Fido around the block today.  In summer, it’s warm and you can stop to chat with neighbors on your walks.  Winter walks, on the other hand, are cold, terrain can be questionable, and taking the time to scoop poop out of a snow pile seems like a waste when you could be inside drinking cocoa and eating cookies.  Spend the extra few seconds to pick up the gift Fido left on someone else’s lawn.  It’s not only polite, it’s also the law in Superior and important for protecting our water resources.

In the summer, when yards are tended to daily, a big pile of brown stuff will stand out in a lawn of green.  When there’s snow to hide it, it’s easier to forget that pet waste needs to be picked up.  Come spring, you’ll be glad you did though.  When the snow melts, pet waste is carried with the water down the storm drains.  As we’ve previously mentioned, most of the storm drains in Superior go straight to rivers and rivers, then go out to Lake Superior without making a stop at the wastewater treatment plant.  If pet waste is allowed to go along with the snowmelt, imagine what you could see when you’re fishing or swimming.  Yuck!  Even if you can’t see it, evidence of pet waste in our waters is shown through summer beach closings. 

Pet waste carries many diseases and parasites that can be transmitted to people.  When the waste decomposes, it uses up oxygen.  The nutrients in the waste can also cause overgrowth of algae; when algae dies, it also uses up oxygen.  Both of these factors can lead to unhappy aquatic life. 

Many people use grocery bags to pick up pet waste.  There are also several different brands of biodegradable bags available locally.  The City of Superior also has biodegradable pet waste bags conveniently located in the city parks.  So what should you do with the pet waste once you’ve picked it up?  There are a few options.  Flushing it down the toilet will take it to the wastewater treatment plant and allow it to be treated before it is released into the lake.  You can also put it in the trash.  Another option is to bury it, but be sure to keep it away from any food you may have growing in the yard or water sources. 

Thanks for being a responsible pet owner!  For more information, please check out these links:

City of Superior: Preventing Stormwater Pollution

 City of Superior IDDE

UW Extension Pet Waste and Water Quality

 NPDES Pet Waste BMP

Wisconsin Beach Health

-Written by Jillian Schubert Edwards

Shaken, Not Poured: The Case for Using Winter Salt Sparingly

Little mounds of salt piled along buildings and sidewalks are a common sight during the winter months in the Great Lakes states.  Now that winter is fully upon us, the plow and salt trucks will be out in full force.  But why do we use salt?  And what is all of that salt doing to the environment?

Salt lowers the freezing point of water.  So, less water can become ice because there is salt in the water. 

What all of this means is that salt can decrease the number of traffic accidents due to slippery road surfaces.  It can also keep sidewalks and driveways clear for pedestrian traffic.  While it’s great that we have an abundant resource that allows us to get around in the winter, it also has some detrimental impacts on the environment and us.  Some impacts of sodium chloride use are:

1.       Damage to vegetation: When salty slush from roads, sidewalks, and driveways gets on your garden or lawn, the salt water can seep into the soil.  Plants can’t get water from the soil as easily, dehydrating them.  The salty water that ends up on leaves, it can desiccate the plant further.

2.       Corrosive to vehicles: Salt is hygroscopic, meaning that it attracts water.  If that slushy spray from passing cars gets on your car, the salt from that slush will attract more moisture to it and will lead to rusting. 

3.       Water pollution: As spring approaches and warmth returns to Wisconsin, the snow begins to melt.  You’ve seen it; rivers of melted snow, pouring into the storm drain.  It takes with it the salt that has been used throughout the winter.  Many storm drains, including the majority of Superior’s, take stormwater and snowmelt (along with anything mixed in to them) into streams, rivers, and lakes.  Lakes are getting saltier because the salt settles at the bottom of the lake and accumulates.  This prevents water from mixing and can be toxic to aquatic life.

What can you do to mitigate some of the detrimental impacts of salt while staying safe in the winter?  First of all (and most importantly), remove as much snow and ice as possible first.  Once it has been walked/driven on and is compacted, it will be more difficult to get rid of.  Second, pay attention to the products you’re using.  Different kinds of salts (besides the most commonly used NaCl) have different temperatures at which they are effective.  Sodium chloride works best at or above 20*F.  For colder situations, use a different product or use sand for traction.  Finally, apply using the guidelines set forth on the package.  Use a shaker to spread more evenly and to avoid spreading on your lawn or garden.  Sweep up excess salt and use it again for the next storm.

Some more links to check out:

City of Superior

Lake Superior Streams

Wisconsin Department of Transportation- Winter Maintenance at a Glance

-Written by Jillian Schubert Edwards

Smart Salting Workshop TOMORROW!

 

-Written by Jillian Schubert Edwards