Minnesota lakes deal with excess chloride from road salt

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Fifty Minnesota lakes and streams are on the state's impaired waters list because of too much chloride.

Minnesota Public Radio reports that the chloride is mainly from road salt. Excess chloride can damage aquatic life reproduction, corrode infrastructure and cause humans health problems.

Shingle Creek was the first body of water added to the list about 20 years ago and caused the state to require a 70 percent reduction in chloride.

Brooke Asleson is with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. She says chloride seeps into the ground and gets into shallow groundwater, so the salt can be retained there for a long time, depending on the soil.

Snowplow driver Steve Forness says there's been increased training to make snowplow operators aware of the harmful environmental effects salt can have.

Proper salting practices can be found here.