Winter Salt Week is an annual week-long effort coordinated across multiple US states to raise awareness about the environmental harm caused by road salt and to provide policy and management solutions to reduce road salt over-application. For the 2025 Winter Salt Week (January 27-31, 2025), Stroud Water Research Center provided resources, technical support, and guidance to organizations that enabled synoptic sampling of streams across the mid-Atlantic region. A centerpiece of this effort was the Winter Salt Stream Snapshot in West Chester, PA, which represented a collaboration between the Stroud Center, West Chester University, the Borough of West Chester, and included various other community and student groups in the area. Volunteers collected high-density synoptic data from streams in six municipalities that describe the scope and magnitude of salt pollution. The snapshot engaged individuals and organizations in the road salt pollution issue, served as an introduction to stream monitoring practices for many groups and keyed participants, and the community (via news media, social media, newsletters, etc.) into salt pollution levels in streams in the region.
I will summarize results of this synoptic sampling of stream samples analyzed for conductivity and chloride concentrations. In several highly urbanized headwaters, chloride concentrations exceeded 6000 mg/L, while rural streams typically showed chloride concentrations under 50 mg/L. I will also share reflections and tips for organizing and managing community-centered, multi-organization sampling efforts such as our Winter Salt Stream Snapshot to help support connection and coordinated action to reduce stream pollution.