How do you use Road Salt in the Winter?– First-Ever Nationwide Winter Salt Awareness Week to take Place

SUPERIOR, Wis. — Next week, the first-ever nationwide Winter Salt Awareness Week will be taking place.

The awareness effort originally began in Wisconsin and gained popularity.

The week is dedicated to spreading knowledge on issues caused by road salt, and how the salt can significantly impact lakes, streams and vegetation.

Throughout the week, professionals will be sharing tips and practices to reduce salt damage through online seminars.

“We’re hoping that people can reduce their salt use by best practices, by first shoveling and then looking at the temperature, most road salts, commonly used road salt, sodium chloride, don’t work below 15 degrees Fahrenheit,” said Megan Hogfeldt, City of Superior, Water Resource Specialist. “So, we’re just asking people to switch to a heartier salt or sand.”

Superior invested in trucks that apply salt sand for colder temperatures and have a spray bar system with larger liquid tanks to apply liquid Magnesium Chloride or Potassium acetate in extreme cold temps. We don’t have the capability yet for salt brine.

“So, salt usually has like a bounce effect, so when you spread it on the road and get right into our streams through the ditch line and can also cause problems with the vegetation and kill vegetation as well,” said Hogfeldt.

The nationwide seminars will be live streamed everyday next week from 12:30 to 1 P.M.

Superior residents can also pledge to protect Superior water by making ice orbs for a sculpture at the Lake Superior Ice Festival next weekend.