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Salt Watch Regional Initiatives

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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!

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.

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.

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.

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