Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations The effect of road salt on ponds.

Around here just like most other places, we are having a very cold winter. When snow/freezing rain/ice is called for, they dump tons of salt in the roads to help keep them open.

Most all ponds around here are fed from creeks. These creeks all go under the roads, bridges, and culverts that are getting dumped on with rocksalt.

Is that salt getting into my and your pond? Whats the effect?

I can absolutely say yes to the first part of that question, at least for one of my ponds. My main draw feeds along a roadway, so it certainly gets salt-laden runoff.

As for effect that's beyond my capabilities to determine. I'll let others more knowledgeable speak to that.

Although I would make a guess that with the millions of gallons of water in my big pond it would take a LOT of road salt to have any significant effect.

So I guess....'it depends' might be the right answer? ;-)

A Little salt never hurt most feshwater fish. Actually a little salt does them some good, As long as its just salt. I have seen some borrow pits around me that get salt water on high water events and are at or around 10 PPT and the freshwatrer fish do great. 10 ppt is actually a lot of salt, sea water is about 30 ppt.

I would not be worried about the salt as much as what are the impurity's in the salt. The heavy metals that are along for the ride with the salt. I would worry more about the oils and tire rubber washing in off the road ways as well.

Canada and the US uses about 40 million ton of road salt every year.

Cheers Don.

When its really going to be bad, they have been spraying the roads with a mixture of some kind of salt brine, pickled beet juice mixture. At least that's what someone said it was. Then the rocksalt comes next. I heard they got the idea from up North where the winters are worse.

Whats that stuff?

Ditto. In my non-aquponics systems I keep my salinity at 2 ppt (0.2 % or 2000 ppm/mg) to my recirculating tank systems to reduce stress and go to 5 ppt for hauling to help with stress their.

I doubt ponds would get even as high as this from road salt but could be wrong.

I do remember once stopping at a restaurant on the 80/90 turnpike New York and the restaurant did not offer water as they said their wells were contaminated with road salt. I'm guessing it was a precaution that went overboard by government bureaucrats just like a lot of things out there. A contracter probably made a pretty penny installing a system to remove the salt. I wouldn't be surprised if a water softener leaves more salt in the water!

If people would just be more well informed in this country and use science instead of hyperbole we'd all live easier.

If you are really curious, you can purchase a salt meter that is usually sold for people with aquariums. You can test your water instantly with it. They should be under $50.

This one would probably be too pricey for your use but it's the one I use.

http://www.amazon.com/Aquascape-KoiMedic...edic+salt+meter

Is this just an EC pen or electrical conductive tester.

Not sure just know it is very accurate and dependable

Seems to be a decent unit.

I imagine road salt comes from multiple places, but here in Bonaire, N.A. they harvest big piles of salt that get loaded on ships and delivered to many places in the world for road salt.

Water is pumped from the ocean into evaporation ponds, that after a while get pumped into condenser ponds then finally the constant desert like wind of Bonaire dries the condenser ponds out to salt about a foot thick. Then they go in with a harvester that loads it on to big trucks that dump into a pit with a conveyor that stock piles it. Bulldozer and articulated loader cleans up the scraps. Then the same conveyor system goes out to a pier where ships are loaded. Used to be slaves and donkeys that did the work, now it is heavy machinery. Quite an operation. It is all road salt. No human consumption salt, although I know of at least some that has made it back to the states and consumed. I think the Pink Flamingo poo must give it that "special" all natural flavor.

This particular salt is pure old evaporated sea salt that goes on roads.

I have tons of pictures but not on this particular computer.

Snrub,

I'm confused. Are you in Kanas part of the time and N.A. the other?

Yes. We spend about 3 months of the winter in Bonaire. Often times another month in summer. The rest of the time in Kansas where our home is.

We are snowbirds, but we just keep flying rather than stop at Arizona or Florida. We find it is just as cheap to winter here as in the states, with the extra cost of the plane ticket being the biggest difference.

This year we had an unusual situation. Had a son-in-law contract Leukemia in early December and passed away a couple weeks ago. So wife flew home about a month ago to spend time with daughter while she was with him in the hospital, then I flew home a couple weeks ago to attend funeral. I came back this last Friday and wife will come down this next Saturday. Usually we are here from early December till the first part of March all the time, but this year was at home to enjoy some of the cold, ice and snow. Not to mention attending a funeral of a guy that died way too young at 50.

But now I'm again in sunny Bonaire for about another month. Go scuba diving almost every day. Spend about 150-200 hours under the water every year.

Snrub sorry to hear about your loss and our thoughts go out to your daughter. So young..... I just can't imagine loosing my wife. I hope she is ok and can make it through this.

My brother in law was just diagnosed with skin cancer the bad one that will spread to organs. Just back in for another hack and cut. Hope they got it all this time. Just turned 50 and is the most healthy person I know. No meat, fat, even passes on birthday cake but spends to much time in the sun I guess.

Don.

There was a salinity value on the last lab test I received from LSU. I've gotten lab test from Miss. as well but i don't have one handy to see if salinity is measure on their's as well.

"just diagnosed with skin cancer"

Wow. Sorry to hear that.

Every day we have with good health on this Earth is a blessing. We need to remember to cherish every moment of it.

Things like this certainly put into perspective some of the petty things that can enter into our lives and make us realize many things are just not worth worrying or getting upset about. There are more important things in life to enjoy and embrace.

My best wishes are with him.