Friends of the Muskoka Watershed (FOTMW) is kicking off SALTY November: Road Salt Awareness Month, a community-wide effort to help Muskokans reduce their excessive road salt usage.
Each year, thousands of tonnes of road salt are spread on driveways, parking lots, and
sidewalks, and it’s often far more than needed. That excess salt doesn’t just melt ice; it
makes its way into Muskoka’s lakes, rivers, and entire watershed, hurting the animals that
live there. And studies show that about 20 per cent of the salt comes from community
sidewalks, driveways and parking lots (It’s not all highways and roads). Individuals using
less can have a big impact.
“It’s easy to overdo it, but a little road salt goes a long way,” says Alesha Breckenridge,
SALTYMuskoka Project Lead. “One 12-ounce cup of road salt is enough to safely melt ice
on ten sidewalk squares or one average driveway. Reducing the amount of road salt
protects our waters. Using excessive road salt doesn’t make it safer.”
Twentyfive percent of recreational lakes tested by the District of Muskoka have chloride
levels above what is considered safe for aquatic life in our soft waters.
“We know that road salt is the cause of rising chloride levels in our lakes because there are
no naturally occurring sources of salt in our watershed. Chloride does not just go away; it
can only be diluted or reduced at the source by our community members,” says
Breckenridge.
Throughout SALTY November, Friends of the Muskoka Watershed is engaging the entire
community. We are asking residents, small business owners, facility managers and others
to take action through learning and participation:
• Signing up for our Green Cup Movement – Pick up and register your 12 oz Green
Cup so we can measure and celebrate how many people are reducing their road
salt use across Muskoka
• Two Free Road Salt in Muskoka Webinars: Monday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.: Dr. Norman Yan, founder of Friends of the Muskoka Watershed
Wednesday, Nov. 25 at 7 p.m.: Dr. Neil Hutchison, Board Member, Friends of the
Muskoka Watershed Email friends@fotmw.org to sign up and get more information.
• Water sampling public event: Join Dr. Neil Hutchinson on Wednesday, Nov. 26 –
more details to follow
• Downtown SALTYPledge Campaign Walk – We visit a few shops to talk about road
salt on sidewalks and share our Green Cups and have businesses sign up and earn
a window sticker for signing the pledge.
Nov. 13 – Huntsville from 10 a.m. to noon
Nov. 20 Bracebridge 10 a.m. to noon
Gravenhurst 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
• Community Science in Action — Local schools and community volunteers are
partnering with FOTMW to test chloride levels in streams and ditches that feed into
Muskoka’s lakes.
• Social Media “Salt-Smart” Tips — Follow us on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/friendsofthemuskokawatershed/and Facebook
facebook.com/friendsofthemuskokawatershedfor weekly SALTYMuskoka tips
• Library Information Displays — Find salt-safety tips and information at local
libraries across Muskoka.
“Each individual choosing to use less road salt helps make a difference,” says
Breckenridge. “When we all use a little less salt, we protect the lakes that define Muskoka.”
About Friends of the Muskoka Watershed
Friends of the Muskoka Watershed (FOTMW) is a charity fostering research and community
engagement to protect Muskoka’s watersheds. We identify environmental threats, develop
practical, science-based solutions, and connect with policy-makers to put these solutions
in place. We also cultivate awareness of these challenges and opportunities through
education and outreach.
Friends of the Muskoka Watershed is about science driving solutions—ensuring that
research and community action work hand in hand to protect the lakes and forests we all
depend on.
Learn more at:fotmw.org
Follow us: facebook.com/friendsofthemuskokawatershed
instagram.com/friendsofthemuskokawatershed/
