| Title: | Quantifying the De-icing Salt Pollution Load to Mirror Lake and the Chubb River |
|---|---|
| Author: | Brendan Wiltse |
| Publication Year: | 2023 |
| Number of Pages in Article: | 42 |
| Keywords: | LCBP Technical Report |
| Journal/Publication: | Lake Champlain Basin Program |
| Publication Type: | Technical and Demonstration |
| Citation: | Brendan Wiltse, Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute, (2023). Quantifying the De-icing Salt Pollution Load to Mirror Lake and the Chubb River. Technical Report # 107, Grand Isle, VT. Lake Champlain Basin Program. |
| How to Obtain: | Download Now |
| Dataset(s): | |
| Abstract: | De-icing salt is an important regional pollutant identified as a contaminant of concern in the Lake Champlain Basin Program’s (LCBP) Opportunities for Action. It is of particular concern in areas of dense urban development where runoff from roads, parking lots, sidewalks, and driveways can contain high concentrations of salt. This is true for Mirror Lake and the Chubb River, located in the headwaters of the West Branch Ausable River subwatershed. In the case of Mirror Lake, direct stormwater discharge to the lake has resulted in a reduction in spring mixing due to salt-induced density differences within the water column. The primary objectives of this three-year LCBP-funded project were to 1) establish a continuous water quality monitoring program capable of quantifying de-icing salt pollutant load to Mirror Lake and the Chubb River, 2) estimate the de-icing salt pollutant load to Mirror Lake from direct stormwater runoff, 3) estimate the total amount of de-icing salt applied within the Chubb River watershed, and 4) educate the public about the effects of de-icing salt on the environment and BMPs for de-icing salt reduction. |