The Foodshed Alliance’s Paulins Kill Watershed Community Program is seeking volunteers to join a citizen science study testing water quality before and after road salt is spread in order to monitor runoff into the Paulins Kill River, tributaries, lakes, and ponds. Funded by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and managed by The Watershed Institute, this data will be used to improve road salt application methods, ensure healthy drinking water, protect infrastructures and sustain natural resources while keeping roads safe.
“This study is vital for freshwater scientists, municipal officials and others to gain a greater understanding of how to balance public safety with healthy waterways in New Jersey,” said Erin Stretz, Assistant Director of Science & Stewardship at The Watershed Institute.
While salt applications are necessary in the winter to allow for safe travel, salt can damage infrastructure releasing lead from pipes and causing corrosion of vehicles. It can travels into waterways and infiltrate soils and wells, increasing sodium levels in drinking water and impairing ecosystems. Impacts from these events only get worse as salt concentrations increase and the amount of winter salt applied over time in New Jersey is rising steadily.
Interested volunteers are asked to observe the road salt applications near their homes with the selection of safe monitoring sites in mind. Examples of preferred sampling sites are downstream and near a major road/bridge that is regularly salted or a paved surface that downslopes into a body of water. Volunteers will be asked to test their site before and after 4 – 6 snowstorms in 2023. Suggestions for testing locations can be provided.
Please visit the Paulins Kill Watershed website and fill out the registration form. All materials are included.
The Paulins Kill Watershed Community is an initiative of the Foodshed Alliance, a nonprofit 501(c)3 based in northwestern New Jersey. The Foodshed Alliance focuses on strengthening the food system by connecting food, farms, and the environment to ensure healthy ecosystems and food for all.