• About Us
    • Mission & Vision
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Volunteer Program Coordinators
    • Our Partners
    • Contributing Photographers
  • Events
  • Our Work
    • Education
      • Programs and Field Trips
      • Youth and Family Program
      • Peterson Young Naturalist Program
      • Habitat Herald
      • Eagle Cam at Dulles Wetlands
    • Citizen Science
      • Stream Monitoring
      • Butterfly Count
      • Amphibian Monitoring
      • Bluebird Monitoring
      • Bird Counts
    • Habitat Conservation
      • Habitat Restoration in the Community
      • Protecting Pollinators
      • Wildlife Sanctuary Program
      • Plant NoVA Natives
      • Native Plant Sales
      • Greening Your Neighborhood
    • Conservation Advocacy
      • Current Campaigns
      • Dark Skies
      • Past Campaigns
    • JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary
      • Overview of JK Black Oak
      • What’s Happening
      • Vernal Pools
      • Flora and Fauna
      • Volunteers at Work
      • Support the Sanctuary
  • Store
  • Resources
  • Volunteer
    • Volunteer opportunities
    • Volunteer application
    • Waiver form
    • Volunteer hours
  • Contact
  • Stay Informed!
  • Donate

Join/Donate

Stay Informed!
Loudoun Wildlife ConservancyLoudoun Wildlife Conservancy
  • About Us
    • Mission & Vision
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Volunteer Program Coordinators
    • Our Partners
    • Contributing Photographers
  • Events
  • Our Work
    • Education
      • Programs and Field Trips
      • Youth and Family Program
      • Peterson Young Naturalist Program
      • Habitat Herald
      • Eagle Cam at Dulles Wetlands
    • Citizen Science
      • Stream Monitoring
      • Butterfly Count
      • Amphibian Monitoring
      • Bluebird Monitoring
      • Bird Counts
    • Habitat Conservation
      • Habitat Restoration in the Community
      • Protecting Pollinators
      • Wildlife Sanctuary Program
      • Plant NoVA Natives
      • Native Plant Sales
      • Greening Your Neighborhood
    • Conservation Advocacy
      • Current Campaigns
      • Dark Skies
      • Past Campaigns
    • JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary
      • Overview of JK Black Oak
      • What’s Happening
      • Vernal Pools
      • Flora and Fauna
      • Volunteers at Work
      • Support the Sanctuary
  • Store
  • Resources
  • Volunteer
    • Volunteer opportunities
    • Volunteer application
    • Waiver form
    • Volunteer hours
  • Contact
  • Stay Informed!
  • Donate

Salt Watch

Salt Watch

Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s Salt Watch Program helps monitor and understand the impact of road salt on local streams. In partnership with the Izaak Walton League of America, our program began in 2021, gathering vital chloride data to track and identify pollution hotspots, raise awareness about the relationship between salt and stream health, and advocate for smarter salting practices.

As of September 2024, volunteers have collected 1,500 data points overall since the program began, contributing to 14 percent of all Salt Watch data submitted nationwide this year. Data collected by our Salt Watch volunteers is shared on the Clean Water Hub and the Izaak Walton League of America’s Salt Watch Map, making it accessible to the public and policy makers.

Salt Watch logos

What is Chloride and Why Do We Monitor It?

Chloride is a component of common salts, like sodium chloride (table salt) and calcium chloride that is often used for de-icing roads, sidewalks and parking lots. When these salts dissolve in water, they release chloride ions. Chloride acts as a reliable indicator of salt pollution because it persists in streams long after the salt dissolves.

This persistence means chloride levels can remain elevated year round, even in warmer months, reflecting the impact of winter salt applications. By monitoring chloride, we can accurately assess the impact of road salts on aquatic ecosystems, identify problem areas and promote sustainable salting practices.

How You Can Get Involved

Loudoun Wildlife’s Stream Team is gearing up for the 2024-2025 Salt Watch season and is in need of volunteers around the county.

Interested in helping Loudoun Wildlife collect data about the salt levels in our local streams? Follow these simple steps to get started.

  1. Watch the kick off video on YouTube for the Season 4 Salt Watch Program.
  2. Email Stream Monitoring Program Coordinator Amy Ulland at aulland@loudounwildlife.org to register and she’ll send you more information about how to sign up for a stream site, request your free Salt Watch kit, and determine when you’ll be monitoring.
  3. When you get your kit, you will take a baseline reading of the chloride levels at your stream site before any snowfall or road treatments. Then you’ll test your stream site monthly (either on the 1st or the 15th of month) and around winter weather events.
  4. After completing each test, you’ll send in your data using a Google Form and a picture of your test strip to Amy. Your data to appear on the Clean Water Hub and Salt Watch maps.

How to Use a Salt Watch Kit

Salt Watch kit

Salt Watch kit

Your kit will include four easy-to-use test strips, plus all the information you need to take salt readings and submit your results. To use your kit, you’ll need access to a stream, a small container (like a juice glass) to hold some water, a camera to take a photo of your results, and a computer or smartphone so you can submit your findings.

You’ll just take a small sample of stream water in your container, put your strip into the water and wait for a few minutes for the strip to detect the chloride levels.

For More Information:
Best practices for road salt
How to advocate for smarter salt use in your community

Our Work

  • DISCOVER: Education
    • Programs and Field Trips
    • Youth and Family Program
    • Peterson Young Naturalist Program
    • Habitat Herald
    • Eagle Cam at Dulles Wetlands
  • EXPLORE: Citizen Science
    • Stream Monitoring
      • Benthic Macroinvertebrate Surveys
      • Clean Drinking Water for Lucketts
      • Salt Watch
    • Butterfly Count
    • Amphibian and Reptile Monitoring
    • Bluebird Trails/Nestbox Monitoring
    • Bird Counts:
      • Christmas Bird Count
      • Celebrate Birds/Birdathon
      • Young Birding Program
      • Bird Atlas
  • RESTORE: Habitat Conservation
    • Habitat Restoration In the Community
    • Protecting Pollinators
      • Native Bees
      • Bringing Back the Monarch
    • Wildlife Sanctuary Program
    • Plant NoVA Natives
    • Native Plant Sales
    • Greening Your Neighborhood
  • PROTECT: Conservation Advocacy
    • Current Campaigns
    • Dark Skies
    • Past Campaigns
  • PRESERVE: JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary
    • Overview of JK Black Oak
    • What’s Happening
    • Vernal Pools
    • Flora and Fauna
    • Volunteers at Work
    • Support the Sanctuary
LOUDOUN'S GREAT PLACES

Citizen Science News

  • Celebrate Birds, Go Birding 2025: Bird Walks and The Big Sit To celebrate spring migration and World Migratory Bird Day, Loudoun...
    Read More
  • Loudoun Bluebird Notes Loudoun Bluebird Notes is published several times a year for...
    Read More
  • Loudoun Bluebird Trail Data Click on the links below to view the data collected...
    Read More

Contact Us

We're currently offline. Send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.

Send Message
Join • Donate • Renew
  • About Us
  • Advocacy
  • Amphibian Monitoring
  • Annual Meeting
  • Celebrate Birds/Birdathon
  • Bird Counts
  • Bluebird Monitoring
  • Butterfly Count
  • Donate
  • Eagle Cam at Dulles Wetlands
  • Endowment
  • Habitat Herald Newsletters
  • Habitat Restoration
  • JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Join Loudoun Wildlife
  • Loudoun’s Great Places
  • News & Events
  • Our Partners
  • Programs & Field Trips
  • Species Checklists
  • Stream Monitoring
  • Wildlife News
  • Wildlife Sanctuary Program
  • Young Birding Program

© 2025 Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy · PO Box 1892 Leesburg, VA 20177 · +1 (703) 777-2575 • Contact Us