Joe Blondia: GLA Monitors Water Salinity Levels from Melting Snow Mixed with Salt & Sand

by | Mar 10, 2025 | Education, News, Watershed Trivia

Have you ever wondered where all that road salt and sand go when the snow melts?

In order to keep our roads safe, the road commission has to use sand and salt to de-ice the bridges. The salt mixes with snow and eventually drips into the Crystal River, which could raise the salinity levels of the water and impact water quality and the organisms that live there. Fortunately, natural snowmelt along the river prevents most of the rise in salinity, and the GLA measures the chemistry and physical parameters of the water every two weeks, year-round, to keep a close eye on water quality. Watch this video to learn more.

Video of GLA Assistant Biologist Joe Blondia taken by GLA Biologist Rob Karner.