Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID NY_2023_Whorley

Does this taste salty to you? Chronic effects of road salt application on stream food webs

Institute: New York
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $35,355 Total Non-Federal Funds: $38,670

Principal Investigators: Whorley

Project Summary: Excess salt in streams has been shown to negatively affect organisms living in them, but little is known about how much salt pollution occurs and how the majority of organisms in streams are affected. New York State applied over 900,000 tons of solid salt during the 2020-2021 winter season, more than any other state. This is likely affecting water quality and the organisms that inhabit streams throughout the state. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of winter road salt application on water quality, stream algae and larval insects over the course of a year. These groups of organisms serve as water quality indicators and effects on them can have important consequences for the fish and other aquatic species that consume them for food.