12/08/2025
๐๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ค๐๐ฌ โ๏ธ๐ง
Snow and ice season is here, and it's important to ensure our property management does not negatively impact lake and watershed health. ๐จ๏ธ๐ง๐ฟ
Road salt keeps walkways and driveways safe, but it is toxic. Using more than you need does not improve safety, and the extra salt washes into soils, groundwater, streams, and lakes, where it can harm amphibians, invertebrates, and long-term water quality. ๐ง๐ซ๐ฆ๐
๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ฉ: Use only the amount needed for traction and safety. Spot-treat icy areas instead of covering whole surfaces. โ๏ธโ ๏ธ
Snow piles collect everything from a winter of driving and walking: salt, sand, vehicle fluids, leaves, and debris. When the snow melts, that runoff needs a safe place to go. ๐จ๏ธ๐๐ข๏ธ๐
๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฉ: Pick a snow storage area that can hold the full season's snowfall, is at least 75 feet from wells and away from surface water sources, wetlands, and storm drains, septic tanks,
and leach fields to avoid damage, contamination, compaction, and flooding. ๐๏ธ๐๐ง๐ซ
๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ (๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ) ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ.๐ซ๐
A good way to ensure healthy spring growth is adding some salt-tolerant vegetation in areas where meltwater soaks into the ground. ๐ฑ๐งโ๏ธ
๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ-๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ฉ: These can include: beebalm, catmint, osier dogwood, beach plum, and asters. More info can be found at https://wildseedproject.net/. ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ
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