Nine Mile Creek is on a “low salt” diet.

SALT POLLUTES

Nine Mile Creek has too much chloride in it. The chloride comes from salt used in the winter on roads, parking lots, and sidewalks. The amount of chloride in the creek make the water unhealthy for the aquatic animals living there.

Tips for Using Less Salt

It is possible to reduce salt use while maintaining safe surfaces in the winter. Just follow these tips:

Shovel. Clear walkways before snow gets compacted or turns to ice. Apply salt only if needed.

Scatter. More salt does not mean more melting. Aim for 3 inches of space between salt granules. Use salt only where critical.

Switch. Common deicers don’t melt ice below  below 15° Fahrenheit (pavement temperature), so should not be applied. Instead, use a small amount of sand for traction when it is too cold.

Sweep. Clean up leftover salt and sand on dry pavement, so it doesn’t wash into the creek. Reuse it as needed.

Low Salt No Salt Minnesota

Brought to you by the Hennepin County Chloride Initiative is the Low Salt, No Salt Minnesota Program. The goal is to build relationships with the community in order to maintain winter safety while reducing chloride based deicer. Aimed at local properties that are managed by resident boards, such as condos, townhomes, and faith-based organizations. The program focuses on awareness and technical support which allows us to provide custom support and solutions. Interested in learning more about this chloride reduction program? Contact Gael at gzembal@ninemilecreek.org

Hiring a Snow Removal Service

You can hire a contractor that has agreed to protect our waters by using less salt. These contractors have taken a class and passed a test to become certified by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

For a list of certified individuals, visit: www.pca.state.mn.us/business-with-us/smart-salting-training.

Do you like your current snow removal service, but they aren’t certified? Ask them to attend a free training! Search “MPCA Smart Salting” to find a list of current trainings or contact the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District at 952-358-2276.

Model Contract for Snow and Ice Management

The focus of this model contract is to embrace best practices to minimize environmental impacts from chlorides, sand, and other chemicals, while also maintaining safety and addressing liability risk allocation.

Model Contract for Snow and Ice Management

Model Contract for Snow and Ice Management- Cover Letter

Model Contract for Snow and Ice Management- Explanatory Memo

Certified snow removal contractors have agreed to voluntarily apply best management practices to reduce the impacts from chloride to our lakes and creeks.

Additional Resources

Smart Salt Toolkit
Improved Winter Maintenance: Good Choices for Clean Water
Winter Maintenance for Small Sites
Buying a Deicer (PDF)
Hiring a Contractor (PDF)
Nine Mile Creek Chloride TMDL (PDF)