Lakes are getting saltier, study finds

Winter’s last chilly gasps yielded to spring warmth a while ago, but an unfortunate part of its legacy lives on in the region’s ponds and lakes now beckoning boaters and swimmers.

Rock salt and salt brines, applied to help keep roads clear of snow and ice, linger in the environment long after they have served their public safety purpose, blurring the line between fresh and salt-water bodies.

“We have a legacy of salt in the environment built up over the last 70 years,” said Hilary Dugan, researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Limnology and co-author of a recent study quantifying salt levels in Northeast lakes....   ...more