After a beautiful weekend here in Wisconsin, followed by a light snowfall last night, it seems like the perfect time to remind ourselves how important it is to limit the amount of salt we use on our driveways and sidewalks. Afterall, we are lucky to have rivers nearby and a great Lake Michigan to our east that we need to protect.
Caitlin from MKC was recently collecting excess salt found on a biking trail near Lake Michigan. Her efforts were noticed by Wisconsin Salt Wise, which was then noticed by Spectrum News. As the article and video states “When Hussey swept up the salt, she ended up putting 80 cups worth into containers. Wisconsin Salt Wise said that equates to preserving about 19,000 gallons of water.”
“There’s a direct connection,” Hussey said. “The lake’s right down the street, we drink that water, we swim in that water, we boat in the water, we fish in that water and just to have that connection so close it just seems kind of obvious to pick it up.”
According to Allison Madison with Wisconsin Salt Wise, “Over salted waterways are common in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Salt Wise lists more than 40 bodies of water impaired with salt levels higher than chronic or acute limits according to Environmental Protection Agency Standards. The southeastern corner of the state is the worst because it is the most urbanized, lots of roads lots of salting,” Madison said.
We are all in this together and every little bit helps our wildlife, our rivers and lakes. Thanks Caitlin for all you’re doing to help our watershed thrive!
Please check out the full article here and watch Caitlin’s interview too.
