If you see a pile of road salt in the street within the Sligo watershed (including Long Branch, Wheaton Branch and Takoma Branch), please email a photo and the date/location/time to [email protected], a project of the FOSC Water Quality Committee. If possible, you should also report it to through the Montgomery County 311 system, which creates a tracking record within County government and increases accountability for results.
We will try to see that it is removed before it gets into Sligo Creek or its tributaries. Road salt runoff increases the Creek’s salinity. When high, salt can kill aquatic life. Read about the fish and salamander kill in Section 6 just north of the Beltway in 2021.
In winter of 2021-22, Sligo mainstem salinity readings earned the creek a “toxic” rating from the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA). IWLA provided the test kits to FOSC for use by FOSC Salt Monitoring volunteer testing team. Find out more on the Salt Monitoring Initiatives page. To join the FOSC Salt Monitoring team, email [email protected].