The following templates can assist municipalities in the development of a municipal Road Salt Management Plan and corresponding policies.

Presenter 1: Chloride inputs to the NSR Watershed

Patrick Laceby, academic researcher with the Alberta Government

Road De-icers impact on the North Saskatchewan River Watershed

Findings: Salinization levels increased significantly as the river traveled from its western headwaters through the densely populated Edmonton Metropolitan area.

More than half (54%) of salt contaminants were linked to winter deicers, while agricultural runoff, wastewater treatment, and industrial effluent contributed the rest.

Presenter 2: ALMS' Overview of Salt in our Lakes

Caleb Sinn, Alberta Lake Management Society (ALMS)

They use a standardized dataset of chemical parameters for a number of lakes in our watershed (Wabamun, Jackfish, Wizard, Half Moon, Hastings, Laurier). This data is accessible on DataStream  and the Government of Alberta Water Quality Data Portal.

Findings: ALMS found a significant increase in chloride levels at 16 of 18 lakes across Alberta. Long-term trend analysis of Wabamun Lake showed steadily increasing concentrations of major ions, including chloride and magnesium. 

See the presentation here.

Presenter 3: Municipal Infrastructure & Operations

John Potter, Operations Manager with the City of St. Albert, and Kyle Wilkin, Infrastructure Manager with the City of Leduc.

Plans must balance road safety, and vehicle wear-and-tear concerns with environmental risks and increasingly erratic winter temperatures.

Conclusion: Sand application is the most obvious alternative to salts. Relative to salt contamination, sand is of lesser concern to waterways, aquatic ecosystems, and our municipalities use sand over salt whenever possible.

Their presentations can be found here.

Workshop attendees input:

• Limited budget can be an issue in upgrades and better management practices
• Collaborating and sharing equipment would be helpful (Shared Service Agreements)
• One size fits all doesn’t work as conditions and municipalities vary
• Some places are easier to plow than others (e.g. St. Albert has wide boulevards)
• Data and environmental monitoring are important for remaining informed, up to date
• Some municipalities are looking at salt sensitive areas from their stormwater plans and incorporating this into salt plans

Next Steps & Making Plans:

Municipalities in Alberta are required to devise a Salt Management Plan if road salt application passes a certain level. These plans are driven by the ‘4 R’s of Salt Management:’ Right Material, Right Amount, Right Place, and Right Time.

View our Salt Management Plan Template here.