Fall Salt Snapshot
Community members of all ages and abilities are welcome to sign up to perform stream sampling at either a preselected location or in the stream of their choosing by visiting this Volunteer Sign Up Link.
The Fall Salt Snapshot event will take place October 1st - October 15th and will offer members of Delaware County and surrounding communities the opportunity to become community scientists by sampling local water ways and submitting them at local universities and watershed protection organizations for testing. The October event will extend that work by sampling during baseflow conditions — when water levels are stable and not influenced by storm runoff — to show how salt pollution persists months after the last snow and ice. Data collected will be added to an online public salt map after the event. Learn more at stroudcenter.org/salt.
This work is incredibly important as road salt damages infrastructure, threatens the health of streams and lakes, and degrades drinking water. The January snapshot showed peak salt impacts in winter; the October snapshot will highlight that contamination is a year-round issue in many urban and suburban streams. Together, these efforts provide a fuller picture of salt pollution and create opportunities for local conversations, education, and solutions.
The Delaware County Office of Sustainability, Delaware County Conservation District, Penn State Extension Master Watershed Stewards, and Pennsylvania Sea Grant are partnering with more than 15 community organizations across Delaware County to ensure that all municipalities and geographies are tested. Participating Organizations include:
Delaware County Partner Organizations in the Fall Salt Snapshot:
• Event Host
o Stroud Water Research Center
• Delaware County Organizers
o Delaware County Office of Sustainability
o Delaware County Conservation District
o Master Watershed Steward Program
• Participating Municipal Groups
o Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative
• Participating Universities
o Penn State University, Brandywine Campus
• Watershed Groups
o Darby Creek Valley Association
• Other Community Organizations
o Willistown Conservation Trust
For additional resources and to sign up to sample, please see the links below. For questions, please reach out to sustaindelco@co.delaware.pa.us.
• Fall Salt Snapshot Press Release
• Fall Salt Snapshot Volunteer Registration Form
• Information Behind the Science at Stroud Water Research Center
Check out #cutthesalt on Facebook and Instagram to see event photos and more from participants!
