Salt Levels Rising in Lakes Creating Concerns for Fish

When winter hits us with snow and ice, we use salt to keep our vehicles from sliding into each other and off the road, as well as on sidewalks and driveways to keep us from landing on our arses while duck-walking to our destinations.

Researchers are now finding that use of road salt is being attributed to rising salt levels in freshwater lakes in the Northeast and Midwest. Those findings are causing concern that the increase in water saline levels will adversely affect everything from microscopic zooplankton to fish.

The environmental concerns, plus the rising costs of road salt, have governments finding ways to cut usage of salt. One method is implementing high-tech equipment for better spreading, along with utilizing more advanced weather forecasting for better timing of salt application. Some municipalities are using liquefied additives like beet juice and cheese brine, which makes the salt stick to the road better.

My theory was to add coffee grounds to the mix, too, with the theory being that the darker color would warm faster and the grounds would provide traction. Maybe?