This winter, use the right S.A.L.T.

Winter is coming! Road salt, or sodium chloride, only works above 15°F. One teaspoon of salt permanently pollutes 5 gallons of water! Salt works best when it is applied before the snow falls, or right after snow is removed from your sidewalk or driveway. Never apply salt when rain is in the forecast, it will just wash away into the storm drain and out to our waterways. 

This winter, pledge to use the right S.A.L.T. (Stuff, Amount, Location, Time):

  • Only use rock salt (sodium chloride) above 15 degrees F.
  • Spread only enough salt to do the job – one 12-ounce coffee mug full of salt is enough to effectively de-ice about 10 sidewalk squares.
  • Spread salt only on the surfaces that need to be de-iced, and never on the lawn, at the base of a tree or right next to a stream or storm drain!
  • Only apply salt right before the snow falls or right after snow is removed from my driveway or sidewalk – and never when rain is in the forecast.

To formally take the pledge and earn your very own Lake Erie Starts Here mug (pick up required while supplies last), go to cuyahogaswcd.org and click on programs and pledges to take the "This Winter, Use the Right S.A.L.T." pledge. 

– Elizabeth Hiser, Watershed Program Manager, Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District

Elizabeth Hiser

Elizabeth Hiser, Watershed Program Manager, Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District

Read More on Letters to the Editor
Volume 12, Issue 22, Posted 9:26 AM, 11.17.2020