AQUATIC IMPACTS OF DEICING SALTS IN THE CENTRAL SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS, CALIFORNIA¹

Abstract

The fate and effect of sodium chloride applied to Californian highways in the Lake Tahoe, Truckee River, and Yuba River watersheds were studied over a period of 14 months in 1974-75. rhloride levels in streams below major frceways were found to be elevated during the winter. The high chloride levels occurred after the Application of salt to roads, decreasing as the time from application mxeases. Small lakes receiving runoff from major highways were also cnrichcd with chloride. Several of these lakes displayed a temporary :hemocline, which was sufficiently strong to stabilize a temperature ;iivcrsion in one Inke.

Potential for local adaptation in response to an anthropogenic agent of selection: effects of road deicing salts on amphibian embryonic survival and development

“…Treatment solutions were low (1.0 g/L Cl À ), medium (1.5 g/L Cl À ), and high (2.0 g/L Cl À ) concentrations of NaCl and MgCl 2 , made by mixing pure biological crystalline laboratory-grade salts (Thermo Fisher Scientific (Fair Lawn, NJ, USA) -NaCl and Acros Organics (Fair Lawn, NJ, USA) -MgCl 2 ) with distilled H 2 O. These salt concentrations are well within realistic field limits (of up to 4.0 g/ L Cl À ) that have been reported in roadside ponds in North America (Environment Canada 2001), and the Cl À concentrations (up to 2.05 g/L) reported for runoff from salted roads into aquatic habitats in parts of Taricha granulosa's range (Hoffman et al 1981). Small amounts of buffer were added to solutions if necessary to ensure the pH of all solutions was approximately neutral (7.0-7.5).…”

Review of Ecological Effects of Roads on Terrestrial and Aquatic Communities

“…The effects on aquatic biota of temporary surges of salt that often accompany runoff from roads to surface and groundwaters have received little study. Deicing salts on roadways elevate chloride and sodium concentrations in streams ( Molles & Gosz 1980; Hoffman et al 1981; Peters & Turk 1981; Mattson & Godfrey 1994) and in bogs, where road salts can alter patterns of succession in aquatic vegetation ( Wilcox 1986). Accumulation of salts from chemicals used for road deicing or dust control can disrupt natural stratification patterns and thus potentially upset the ecological dynamics of meromictic lakes ( Hoffman et al 1981; Kjensmo 1997 ).…”

Effects of increased salinity on the diatom assemblage in Fonda Lake, Michigan

“…During the past decade, a number of studies have been conducted on the effects of these loadings upon aquatic habitats (Judd, 1970;Bubeck et al, 1971;Dickman & Gochnauer, 1978;Hoffman et al, 1981).…”