Watching Out for Winter Road Salt Learning Lab

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Tune into IPC's first fall learning lab! In preparation for the upcoming winter help protect our waters by learning about sustainable solutions to road salt.

Discover how this yearly practice affects our waterways. The Chesapeake Bay watershed receives an estimated 2.5 million tons of road salt each year! While it is used to deice roads to ensure safe travels, it can have negative impacts on the environment. One of the most concerning is how it changes the salinity of our beloved Bay.

Road salt can increase the salinity of freshwater habitats that lead to the Chesapeake Bay, making them less suitable for migratory fish to spawn. It can also impact the development of fish, causing some species to be smaller and weigh less.

Guest Speakers:
~ Abby Hileman is the Salt Watch Coordinator at the Izaak Walton League of America. In her role, Abby leads the efforts of the Salt Watch program, expanding the project into new regions across the country, reaching new groups of volunteers, and providing resources to make lasting change—from data to action. Abby received her BS in Biology at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA. She has a passion for connecting people to their communities and to nature and believes that small scale actions add up to make a big impact on conservation success.

~ Lindsay DeMarzo is the Sustainability and Stormwater Programs Manager at the Office of Community Sustainability from Howard County Government. Guided by principles of science, ingenuity, sustainability and stewardship, the Office engages in water quality, economic development, agriculture, energy and education initiatives.

~Dr. Andrew Lazur is a Statewide Water Quality Specialist with the University of Maryland Extension focusing on drinking water quality, private wells, groundwater protection, septic systems, and pond management education. He has been involved in various aspects of water quality in Research and Extension for 35 years. His work is applied and collaborative in nature, working directly with varied stakeholders to identify and solve issues.

These webinars are supplemental to IPC's Faithful Green Leaders Training Program and are free and open to all.