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.

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 2020.

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 SaltWatch volunteer testing team. Find out more on the Salt Monitoring Initiatives page. To join the FOSC SaltWatch team, email [email protected].