Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID MA-2025-Roy

Evaluating the impacts of road salt at road-stream crossings in the Charles River watershed

Institute: Massachusetts
Year Established: 2025 Start Date: 2026-01-01 End Date: 2026-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $10,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $10,313

Principal Investigators: Allison Roy

Project Summary: During the winter in the Northeast, road deicers (primarily sodium chloride) are used to prevent snow- and ice-related accidents for public safety. Because roads regularly intersect streams, road deicer runoff can directly enter water bodies. With increased use of road deicers over in recent decades, salinization has become a major threat to freshwater ecosystems. Road deicers can have direct and indirect effects on freshwater fish, insects, and plants, as well as cumulative effects in combination with other stressors, causing acute and chronic impacts. Studies evaluating the impacts of road salt on rivers often monitor conductivity as an inexpensive proxy for chloride. This study aims to understand how road crossings alter river conductivity levels and how conductivity impacts stream insects, and will be used to inform best practices for road deicers that will minimize impacts to rivers.