The Adirondack Explorer has a must read story on the impact of using salt on roads in the Adirondacks. The story traces the origins of how salt and winter and the ‘Dacks became a thing: what began as an idea to help make getting to and from venues at the 1980s Winter Olympics turned into ”an addiction”.

The impact of salt on lakes is measurable and has been a topic of concern for years at The Schroon Lake Association, The East Shore Schroon Lake Association and the Paradox Lake Association. But there’s hope: salt alternatives. And the recently passed Randy Preston Road Salt Reduction Act -- a bipartisan bill that would help reduce road salt pollution and protect drinking water in the Adirondack Park – could reduce the reliance on salt

The legislation, passed in early December, creates an Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force and Pilot Program. The new law establishes a salt-reduction pilot program from October 2021 through 2024 to test alternative measures already shown to work better and cost less than current winter road maintenance practices. Highway safety would remain the top priority.

You can read the Adirondack Explorer story here and learn more about the Randy Preston Road Salt Reduction Act here.