Valerie DiMarzio | The Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Excess road salt that washes into rivers and streams can threaten wildlife and drinking water
Maryland 2026 - This winter season, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) urges Maryland agencies, community associations, and residents to use road salt sparingly when treating ice and snow.
Road salt is an unpurified version of table salt, sodium chloride. Though it’s useful for melting ice off our roadways, it can be dangerous for our waterways—and it’s often over-applied. After application, salt accumulates on streets, sidewalks, and cars, and eventually flows into the nearest river or stream when the snow melts or it rains.
Rapid spikes in salinity levels from road treatment can harm or kill freshwater fish and other aquatic species, and contaminate our region’s drinking water sources.
While there are no perfect replacements for road salt, some less harmful alternatives exist, such as calcium magnesium acetate (CMA), sand, or even kitty litter. Residents can also be sure to shovel early and often, or reuse excess road salt that may have accumulated in their neighborhoods.
Maryland Department of the Environment has been working to implement a new training program meant to reduce road salt usage. The program would benefit the state’s streams, drinking water reservoirs, and wildlife.
However, as precipitation patterns become increasingly unpredictable in the face of climate change, it’s critical that the agency and other road-salt applicators remain vigilant.
Gussie Maguire, Maryland Staff Scientist at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, said in a statement:
“Heavy ice and snow do not need heavy salt application. A little goes a long way.
“This winter, let’s go light on the road salt—and encourage your neighbors, HOAs, and county and state officials to do the same. Our local waterways and wildlife will thank you.
“Snow is a key ingredient to a healthy Bay. Our brackish Bay needs balance between fresh and salt water—and snowmelt, just like rainfall, is an important freshwater input. Let’s not counteract that harmony with harmful chemicals and heavy-handed salt usage.”
