An important threat to the health of the Ausable river and its tributaries is contamination of the freshwater in these streams by salt (mostly sodium chloride) released from the road salt applied during the winter. The increased salinity of the water is harmful for aquatic life, and we need to minimize the contamination of our freshwater by salt. 

Of course, we do need to keep our roads clear and safe for winter driving too, and salt can be a very effective tool for accomplishing this. But, the manner in which we traditionally use road salt—the application of crystalline rock salt (sometimes combined with sand) to road surfaces—is not the most effective approach. Rock salt needs to dissolve in water before it can be effective in clearing or preventing the accumulation of ice and snow. This simple fact has led to an alternative approach in which salt is dissolved in water (forming a brine) before it is applied to a road. 

The application of a brine mixture can begin to melt  ice and snow immediately after its application. The application of brine can also be used before a winter storm, with the salt residue produced by coating the road with brine getting a head start on preventing the accumulation of ice and snow for up to three days after application.

The Ausable Freshwater Center recently sponsored a tour of the Highway Department in the Town of Peru, NY. The Highway Dept. in Peru transitioned from rock salt to brine a few years ago, and they are very pleased with the outcome. Their use of brine has greatly reduced the amount of salt that they need to buy and store. Also, they no longer need to apply sand with the rock salt to their roads. This means that they don’t need to work for six weeks in the spring removing sand from their roads. Transitioning to brine has required the purchase of new equipment (a brine mixer and storage vats) for making brine at their facility and new equipment for their trucks for applying the brine. But, the cost of the new equipment has been offset by considerable financial savings from not needing to buy as much salt and sand. 

Wilmington should seriously consider following Peru’s lead and transitioning from applying rock salt to applying brine to keep our roads clear of ice and snow. Wilmington is fortunate to have the Ausable as a wonderful natural resource, but we also have a responsibility for being good stewards of the Ausable and its tributaries. It’s time for Wilmington’s Town Board and Town Supervisor to begin a discussion of replacing rock salt with brine for keeping our roads clear and safe while protecting the health of the Ausable.