Winter Salt Watch: You Can Help

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Road salt (sodium chloride) is everywhere during winter months. It keeps us safe on roads and sidewalks, but it can also pose a threat to fish and wildlife as well as human health. 

Fish and bugs that live in freshwater streams can’t survive in extra salty water. And many of us (more than 118 million Americans) depend on local streams for drinking water. Water treatment plants are not equipped to filter out the extra salt, so it can end up in your tap water and even corrode your pipes. What can you do?

STEP 1: Test the chloride in your stream. Request a FREE test kit using the form on this page and follow the instructions you receive with your kit. (You can also order your own chloride test strips through Amazon.) You’ll want to test your stream:

  • Before a winter storm (to get a baseline reading).
  • After salt has been applied to roads.
  • After the first warm day or rainstorm following a snow or freeze.
  • After the next rain event.

STEP 2: Share your results using the free Water Reporter app. Just follow these simple instructions. With test results in one place, we can identify salt hot spots around the country, and you can see how salt is affecting your community. Check out the Winter Salt Watch map below!

STEP 3: Take action. If you find high levels of chloride, let someone know!

  1. Call your city or county department of environmental protection to report high chloride levels or large salt piles.
  2. Write a Letter to the Editor of your local newspaper or other news outlet to educate your community about this issue. You can start with our sample letter and adapt it for your use. (Download the Word file or PDF.)
  3. Share road salt best practices with community managers and state agencies.

Protect the health of your streams – and your community – with Winter Salt Watch!

2019 Virginia Environmental Education Conference February 7-9, 2019

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Virginia Association of Environmental Education (VAEE) has extended the earlybird registration for the 2019 Virginia Environmental Education Annual Conference, at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond, VA

Enjoy a gathering full of professional development, networking opportunities, learning, and field experiences that will expand your knowledge of Environmental Education efforts and resources in the Commonwealth and help you in your VMN endeavors. 

This year’s conference will feature many exciting presentations, keynote speakers, and field trips, including the annual member meeting for the Virginia Association for Environmental Education. 

Other events include various networking opportunities and the annual VAEE Social and Silent Auction.

Information about this year’s conference and registration can be found on the conference webpage

Early-bird registration is extended until January 11, 2019. Registration ends February 4, 2019.

For general registration questions, contact: Bruce Young at [email protected]

NOVA Green Festival 2019, April 25th

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Photo by Barbara J. Saffir (c)

Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), Annandale Campus
8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003
Saturday, 25 April 2019
9-4 pm

The theme for the 2019 event will be “Biodiversity and Urbanization.” At this time, the College hopes to host several presenters who will be able to touch on the many challenges of maintaining biodiversity in an urban environment.

The purpose of NOVA’s Annual Green Festival is to increase both the college and local community awareness of regional, national, and global environmental issues and provide information regarding ways that individuals can help preserve the environment. Participants at this community event will include faculty, staff, students and local community members. While the target audience is high school and college students, the event is free and open to the public.

The festival will be a combination of presentations, panel discussions, interactive demonstrations, film viewing, and informational displays. Ideally, it will help the audience to recognize ways they can conserve resources, promote change, and make a difference as individuals.

Join the College for this topical and educational festival. If you have questions or would like to participate as an exhibitor, you are welcome to contact Cheryl Robinette at, or Rob Johnson.

Earth Sangha January seed cleaning sessions

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Founded in 1997, the Earth Sangha is a nonprofit public charity based in the Washington, D.C., region. In the D.C. area, they operate a volunteer-based program to propagate local native plants, restore native plant communities, and control invasive alien plants. Their Wild Plant Nursery is the region’s most comprehensive effort to propagate native plants directly from local forests and meadows. Volunteers are needed to clean the seeds from native plants to prepare them for sowing and growing.

Sundays, January 6th, 13th, 20th, from 10 am to 1 pm, at Arlington Village: 1400 South Edgewood Street, Arlington. This is the community room of Arlington Village and is located on the lowest point of the street. Please look for the brown street sign that says “1400 South Edgewood Street.” The community Room is through basement door at the corner of the building. If you can’t find it, please call Rodney at 703-216-4855 for directions.
Mondays, January 7th, 14th, 28th, from 10 am to 1 pm, at Long Branch Nature Center in Arlington: 625 South Carlin Spring Road, Arlington.

Free milkweed available to schools

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Deadline: Rolling
Monarch Watch is offering an opportunity for schools to receive free milkweed. Schools can receive a free flat of 32 milkweed plugs. Applications to receive milkweed for spring 2019 are being reviewed on a rolling basis. Learn more and apply here.

Chesapeake Bay Trust Environmental Education Mini Grants

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Deadline: Thursday, January 10, 2019
The Chesapeake Bay Trust mini grants are intended to support meaningful outdoor learning experiences around a watershed issue investigation. The deadline to apply is January 10, 2019 at 4pm. Learn more about the grant and apply here.

Coming Feb. 1st: NVSWCD 2019 Native Seedling Sale

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Potomac River clean-ups, Jan. 19 and 21

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Potomac River Cleanup at Fletcher’s Cove
When: Saturday, January 19, 10:00am-1:00pm
Where: Fletcher’s Cover, Washington DC
Potomac Conservancy and the National Park Service will honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by spending “a day on, not a day off”! Join them in collecting trash at Fletcher’s Cove to support clean water and connected communities! Register online to volunteer.

Potomac River Cleanup at LBJ Grove
When: Monday, January 21, 10:00am-1:00pm
Where: LBJ Memorial Grove, Washington DC
Potomac Conservancy and the National Park Service will honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by spending “a day on, not a day off”! Join them in collecting trash and removing invasives at the LBJ Memorial Grove to support clean water and connected communities! Register online to volunteer.

Five stream monitoring volunteer opportunites

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Photo by Barbara J. Saffir (c)

Bull Run Watershed Stream Monitoring Workshop
When: Sunday, January 6, 12:00-2:30pm
Where: James Long Park, Haymarket
Join Elaine Wilson, one of Prince William SWCD’s pioneers/certified monitors and her team for winter monitoring at this beautiful site in Catharpin Creek in the Gainesville area. This site has some outstanding critters that are unique only to this site.  STEM kids are welcome. Spots are limited. For more information and RSVP, contact Elaine Wilson.  

Pohick Creek Stream Monitoring Workshop
When: Sunday, January 13, 10:00am-12:30pm
Where: Wadebrook Terrace, Springfield
Join NVSWCD as we discover aquatic life in Pohick Creek! This official NVSWCD stream monitoring workshop covers watershed health, what macroinvertebrates tell us about stream quality, and what you can do to prevent pollution in your local stream. Registration is limited. RSVP to Ashley Palmer.

Reston Association Stream Monitoring Workshop
When: Saturday, January 19, 1:00pm
Where: Reston
Assist in important winter stream monitoring by getting your feet wet in one of Reston’s streams? RA welcomes new volunteers to assist with stream monitoring at several locations. Get involved with a small team to collect data and identify insects with the goal of assessing the health of Reston’s stream. Not only do you get to learn about streams, it also provides an opportunity to make new friends. Learn more and register.

Reston Association Stream Monitoring Workshop
When: Thursday, January 31, 12:30pm
Where: Walker Nature Center, Reston
Assist in important winter stream monitoring by getting your feet wet in one of Reston’s streams! RA welcomes new volunteers to assist with stream monitoring at several locations. Get involved with a small team to collect data and identify insects with the goal of assessing the health of Reston’s stream. Not only do you get to learn about streams, it also provides an opportunity to make new friends. Learn more and register.

Reston Association Stream Monitoring Workshop
When: Saturday, February 2, 1:00pm
Where: Reston
Assist in important winter stream monitoring by getting your feet wet in one of Reston’s streams! RA welcomes new volunteers to assist with stream monitoring at several locations. Get involved with a small team to collect data and identify insects with the goal of assessing the health of Reston’s stream. Not only do you get to learn about streams, it also provides an opportunity to make new friends. Learn more and register.

EQAC 2019 Public Hearing – January 9, 2019

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Photo by Barbara J. Saffir (c)

The Environmental Quality Advisory Council will be holding its annual public hearing on the environment on Wednesday, January 9, 2019.

The public hearing will be held at 7:30 PM in Conference Rooms 4 and 5 of the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA.  All interested parties are encouraged to sign up to speak. To sign up to speak, call the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-324-1380 or send an e-mail message (and/or submit written testimony) to [email protected]. Or,  just contact Joe Gorney directly at [email protected] and he will sign you up.

Please note that EQAC is again providing the opportunity for interested parties to present video testimony.  Video testimony (five minutes or less is preferred) can be uploaded to YouTube, Ustream or Vimeo.  Let EQAC know by email to [email protected] how to access the video. They will present the video at the public hearing.* The deadline for posting videos on-line and informing EQAC of the URL through which they can access the video is 5:00 PM on Wednesday, January 2. EQAC requests that there be no more than one video submitted per person.

EQAC’s Annual Report on the Environment, which will be presented to the Board of Supervisors on November 20, is now available on EQAC’s website.  Please note that, while the public hearing is being held shortly after the completion of the Annual Report, the public hearing is not intended to focus on this report but is instead intended to hear your views and concerns regarding any environmental issues of interest to you.

Questions?  Either call Joe Gorney directly (703-324-1267) or e-mail him.

*All videos will be screened by county staff prior to the public hearing. Each video must address one or more environmental topics. Any video with profanity or other objectionable material will not be presented at the public hearing. You will be notified if county staff determines that your video is unsuitable for presentation. You do not need to attend the public hearing for your video to be presented.