Salt Watch Regional Initiatives

Gaithersburg, Maryland is where it all began!

In 2017, a Clean Water Fellow at the Izaak Walton League of America noticed a huge pile of salt left by a salt truck sitting directly next to a storm drain. That salt was headed right for the Muddy Branch, a small stream that travels through Maryland and feeds into the Potomac River. He contacted local government agencies to try and address the problem and quickly discovered that the world of road salt is a complicated one and that its effects on our waterways are not well known or well-studied. Inspired by the success of the League’s Save Our Streams community science program, IWLA staff launched Salt Watch in 2018 to mobilize community scientists to monitor chloride (salt) levels in local creeks and streams.

Since that original salt pile, Salt Watch has launched several local campaigns to combat road salt pollution and educate the public about smart salting practices!

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Thanks to a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust and City of Gaithersburg, Salt Watch staff have been able to launch a local campaign to monitor local waterways in Gaithersburg, educate students and teachers, table at farmers markets and local festivals, speak with faith-based organizations, host applicator trainings for local businesses and road salt applicators and more!

The City of Gaithersburg has been working to reduce road salt pollution throughout the region by pretreating with brine application prior to winter weather events, calibrating equipment, conducting staff training days, storing loaded trucks under cover, and washing and cleaning all snow equipment indoors to prevent site runoff!

To learn more about snow removal in Gaithersburg, please visit www.gburg.md/snow.

City of Gaithersburg even has a Road Salt Drop Off Program available contractors looking to dispose of excess road salt.

Montgomery County, Maryland

Salt Watch staff have been able to launch a local campaign to monitor local waterways in Montgomery County, prioritize monitoring and outreach in the Watts Branch, Cabin John Creek and Anacostia Watersheds, educate students and teachers, table at farmers markets and local festivals, host a “Paint the Plow” event for local schools, partners, and scout troops, and host applicator trainings for local businesses and road salt applicators and more! This local campaign has been possible thanks to grants from the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection.

Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection has launched a Salt-Wise program to help provide resources around smart salting practices to residents, businesses, property managers, snow removal professionals, and local and state agencies.

City of Rockville, Maryland

A new regional outreach initiative started in 2025, Salt Watch staff have launched a local campaign to monitor local waterways in the City of Rockville, table at events, festivals, and farmers markets, and increase knowledge of residents around potential road salt risks and application best practices.

This regional initiative is possible thanks to a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the City of Rockville.

WSSC Water Salt Outreach Workgroup

Salt Watch staff are part of a regional road salt outreach workgroup run by WSSC Water that meets quarterly to discuss regional program initiatives and amplify” Smart Salt” messaging across organizations and throughout the region. As a result of these collaborations, workgroup members have been able to share resources and reach additional audiences through their outreach.

Resources from Workgroup Members:

• WSSC Water is the local drinking water entity in the region and has been monitoring water entering their Potomac and Patuxent River Filtration Plants. Chloride levels in those rivers have increased dramatically over the past 30+ years and there has been increasing concern about road salt, as there is no economically feasible way to remove salt from drinking water.
• Maryland Department of the Environment has developed a state-wide road salt applicator training program available for road salt applicators in the public and private sectors.
• Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) has developed a “Winter Salt Smart” story map.

Organizations in Minnesota have been working to reduce road salt pollution across the state for many years. Salt Watch Partners, volunteers, and Izaak Walton League of America Chapters have been doing regular Salt Watch monitoring and outreach at local events and state events like Ice Harvest events and the Minnesota State Fair! Many Salt Watch Partners are located around the Twin Cities Metropolitan Region and eastern parts of the state and Salt Watch is working to expand outreach and monitoring throughout the state.

Thanks to a grant from the Change Happens Foundation, Salt Watch staff will be able to expand outreach, monitoring, and engagement in Minnesota.

State Resources:

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) hosts yearly Smart Salting training for road salt applicators, community leaders, property managers, business owners, and environmental professionals. MPCA also has developed a Smart Salting Tool, which can be used to assist public and private winter maintenance organizations in determining where opportunities exist to improve practices, make reductions in salt use, and track progress of best management practices.

Low Salt No Salt is an initiative developed in 2022 by the Hennepin County Chloride Initiative (HCCI) to provide a toolbox that local government staff may use during conversations with residents, businesses, and property managers about best practices related to winter maintenance.

Salt Watch has grown in Ohio over recent years, particularly in Cleveland and Columbus. Salt Watch partners and chapters have been working to monitor local waterways to eventually bring policy changes at the local and state levels in Ohio.

Thanks to a grant from the Change Happens Foundation, Salt Watch staff will be able to expand outreach, monitoring, and engagement in Ohio.

State Resources:

In December, 2023 the Ohio EPA announced the Chloride Reduction Grant Program as part of the H2Ohio Rivers program. The program aims to help communities upgrade road salt infrastructure and equipment to reduce the amount of salt runoff impacting Ohio surface and ground water resources.

Salt Watch Partner groups throughout Virginia are using Salt Watch to make local and regional change. There are several organizations participating in Salt Watch, some of which (like Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy) have more than DOUBLED their volunteer base and sample site locations for chloride monitoring. Salt Watch staff have also expanded their outreach efforts in parts of Northern Virginia thanks to a grant from Fairfax Water.

Northern Virginia Salt Outreach Workgroup

Salt Watch staff are part of a regional road salt outreach workgroup run by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission that meets regularly to discuss initiatives in Northern Virginia and to amplify “Smart Salt” messaging across organizations and throughout the region. As a result of these collaborations, workgroup members have been able to share resources and reach additional audiences through their outreach.

Resources from Workgroup Members:

• The Virginia Salt Management Strategy (SaMs) was established to provide recommendations for improving winter practices through efficient and effective salt use while maintaining the same levels of safety.
• Northern Virginia Clean Water Partners
• Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
• Arlington County, Virginia

Salt Watch Partner groups throughout Wisconsin are using Salt Watch to make local and regional change. Many Salt Watch Partners are located in the south central and eastern part of the state and Salt Watch is working to expand outreach and monitoring throughout the state.

Thanks to a grant from the Change Happens Foundation, Salt Watch staff will be able to expand outreach, monitoring, and engagement in Wisconsin.

State Resources:

Wisconsin Salt Wise has been promoting Salt Watch participation in Wisconsin and has launched Winter Salt Awareness Week, a week-long road salt pollution awareness campaign in January that has gained traction with organizations and communities around the country and in Canada.  Wisconsin Salt Wise also offers training for road salt applicators in smart salting best practices.