It's almost time to avoid slick spots on the sidewalks and driveways. But before we start pouring salt to melt the ice, there's a word of caution to remember.
Environmental Consultant, Connie Fortin warns that salt, or chloride, is ruining our lakes. "A hundred years ago our lakes were pristine. Today their full of chlorides mostly from road salt and sidewalk salt," she says.
Our fish and other aquatic wildlife can't handle salty water.
Fortin recommends using one pound (or about a coffee cup full) of sidewalk salt for every 1000 square feet. We used 1/3 of the cup for the sidewalk in this and it was plenty. Especially make sure there are no piles of salt.
She also recommends shoveling in phases as the snow falls in order to get most of the snow and eventually ice off the surface by hand so you need to use less salt overall.
