SOME EFFECTS OF DE-ICING ON IRONDEQUOIT BAY AND ITS DRAINAGE BASIN

MONROE COUNTY, NEW YORK (POPULATION 712,000), USED 2.5 PERCENT OF THE SALT USED FOR HIGHWAY DEICING IN THE UNITED STATES DURING THE WINTERS OF 1969-70 AND 1970-71. THE IRONDEQUOIT BAY DRAINAGE BASIN (POPULATION 206,000), WHICH IS PRIMARILY WITHIN THE COUNTY, RECEIVED ABOUT 1 PERCENT. THE DISPROPORTIONATE USE OF DEICING SALT REFLECTS THE HIGH FREQUENCY OF SMALL SNOWFALLS, WINTER TEMPERATURE RANGES, AND THE VIGOROUS IMPLEMENTATION OF A BARE PAVEMENT POLICY IN A POPULOUS REGION. A STUDY OF THE IRONDEQUOIT BAY DRAINAGE BASIN REVEALED THAT THE CONCENTRATION OF CHLORIDE DURING THE SUMMER IN IRONDEQUIOT CREEK (THE PRINCIPAL INPUT TO IRONDEQUOIT BAY) AND IN THE SURFACE WATERS OF THE BAY HAS RISEN FOURFOLD SINCE USE OF DEICING SALTS HAS BECOME WIDESPREAD. WINTER CONCENTRATIONS OF CHLORIDE IN IRONDEQUOIT CREEK REACH 600 MG/LITER, AND MAXIMUM CONCENTRATIONS IN 10 SMALL CREEKS FLOWING INTO THE BAY RANGE FROM 260 TO 46,000 MG/LITER OF CHLORIDE DURING WINTER. SALINE RUNOFF IMPOSES A SUFFICIENT DENSITY GRADIENT ON IRONDEQUOIT BAY THAT IT DOES NOT MIX COMPLETELY DURING THE SPRING; MOREOVER, THE PERIOD OF SUMMER STRATIFICATION HAS BEEN PROLONGED A MONTH, AS COMPARED WITH 1939, BY THE DENSITY GRADIENT IMPOSED BY THE SALT RUNOFF. LESS THAN ONE-HALF OF THE SALT USED FOR DEICING DURING A WINTER IS REMOVED BY SURFACE RUNOFF, THE REMAINDER BEING STORED IN THE SOIL AND GROUNDWATER. CHLORIDE CONCENTRATIONS IN WELLS THAT HAVE BEEN MONITORED OVER THE YEARS HAVE RISEN; HOWEVER, INTERPRETATION IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE SOME NATURAL GROUNDWATER IN THE AREA IS KNOWN TO BE SALTY. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1973/425/425-005.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309021545
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Diment, W H
  • Bubeck, R C
  • Deck, B L
• Publication Date: 1973

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 23-35
• Monograph Title: Environmental degradation by de-icing chemicals and effective countermeasures
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 425
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bays; Chlorides; Concentration (Chemistry); Deicers (Equipment); Drainage basins; Groundwater; Runoff; Sodium chloride; Sodium chloride; Streams
• Uncontrolled Terms: Concentration; Creeks; Deicers
• Geographic Terms: Monroe County (New York)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00204508
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309021545
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Aug 15 1973 12:00AM