Stormwater Pollution Solutions for Winter
Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean we’re in the clear on water pollution prevention. Wintertime creates unique and significant pollution concerns to watershed health. Because the ground will be frozen over the next few months it acts as a hard surface like asphalt or concrete, unable to perform as a natural filtration system. Pollutants accumulate in snow banks and ice all winter long. Once the snow melts, all the grime, grit, road salt, and other substances are washed into our storm water systems, rivers and lakes. This seasonal pulse of meltwater can be the largest single annual runoff event in northern climates and contributes significant contaminant loads to sensitive waterways (Oberts, 1994). It’s important that we take measures to reduce the amount of potential pollutant accumulation during the winter months.
Suggestions for reducing your winter impact on our streams and lakes:
Be careful with your salt application and consider alternate salting methods. Salt alternatives like potassium acetate (KA), calcium magnesium acetate (CMA), or sand are less damaging to homes and landscaping and can be used to de-ice and improve traction on a front walkway or driveway. If you do apply salt, shovel first and apply as minimally as possible. Mixing salt with natural substances like beet juice can increase the salt’s effectiveness at lower temperatures, reducing the amount of salt needed for application.
Be mindful of garage rinsing! While it’s tempting to take out the hose and spray the gray sludge and salt off of your car and out of your garage on a relatively warm winter day, this is discouraged. Residue left from de-icing materials, oil, gas, and other road pollutants drips from your car and ends up on the garage floor. Your garage floor runoff may then drain into a storm sewer drain, ditch, river, or lake, which means you’re flushing pollutants from your garage right into our streams and eventually Lake Erie. One alternative is to take your car to a commercial car wash instead, where the drains flow to water treatment areas.
Dump snow in areas where it will minimally impact streams and floodplains. Stockpile snow in flat areas at least 100 feet from waterways, to allow slow melting and some infiltration to occur. Planting snow stockpile areas with salt-tolerant ground cover species will help filter out road salt contaminants. Removal of sediment and debris from dump areas each spring will minimize the chances of these pollutants being washed directly into storm water systems and waterways.
Watch your waste! Picking up your animal’s waste is just as important in the winter time as it is in the warmer months. Pet waste can be a significant source of harmful bacteria.
Citations: Oberts, Gary L. 1994. “Influence of Snowmelt Dynamics on Stormwater Runoff Quality.” Watershed Protection Techniques 1(2): 55-61.
Provided by Chagrin River Watershed Partners, Inc.
Other Helpful Tips
10 Things You Can Do To Prevent Stormwater Runoff Pollution
What to do with a wet back yard
A Homeowner’s Guide to Septic Systems
Saving America’s Streams and Streamsides (HTML Video)
Life at the Water’s Edge Fact Sheets: These fact sheets were designed to educate streamside property owners about how to increase land value, reduce streambank erosion, improve wildlife habitat, and protect and improve the quality of the Chagrin River and Lake Erie. Project funded in part by the Great Lakes Basin Program, Great Lakes Commission.
Intro to Streamside Management
