CHLORIDE
ROAD SALT
A high chloride concentration in the water is a typical impairment In suburban watersheds like Kiefer Creek. As a watershed develops, more roads are built, and more salt is put on these roads to melt ice & snow in the winter. Freshwater ecosystems like Kiefer Creek are not compatible with large amounts of chloride. The aquatic flora and fauna that are native to Kiefer Creek are not adapted to deal with saltwater, and with enough salt, a creek like Kiefer Creek can become acutely toxic to native aquatic species. Kiefer Creek is currently listed as impaired under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act for high chloride concentrations. Although typical to a suburban environment, much chloride pollution is preventable through implementing Best Management Practices on multiple scales, and through decreasing overall chloride usage in the watershed. |
This website and other efforts related to the Kiefer Creek Restoration Project are partially funded by the Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. MoDNR Subgrant G13-NPS-01.