Spreading salt on a path. It's a common thing to do in the North Country. It's the perfect, cheap solution to winter ice, in the short term. In the long term, it may cause irreparable damage to our soil and watershed. When we add salt to paths, roads and parking lots, we increase the salinity of the snow. Come springtime, that snow melts and runs into our soils and rivers, taking the salt with it.

So, why is this a problem? Salinization leads to toxic soils and salty waters, this kills both plants and freshwater organisms. If we continue to use salt to melt ice, we will risk the stability of our ecosystem.

To avoid this ecological disaster we must embrace alternatives such as traction solutions (sand, rock), de-icing alternatives (calcium magnesium acetate, potassium acetate), or simply just use salt more wisely.