This month, the Ausable River Association (AsRA) was awarded a $175,000 grant by the Lake Champlain Basin Program to advance effective, science-based approaches to reducing road salt impacts to Mirror Lake.

The funds are supporting ongoing work to monitor and study the impact of road salt on Mirror Lake and the Chubb River watershed. The focus of the grant is a detailed study of salt use by the state, local municipalities, commercial operators, and residents. Understanding the amount and timing of salt used is considered essential to identifying strategic salt reduction targets and a locally effective suite of best management practices to improve the water quality of Mirror Lake.  The funds are also available to support public education and community outreach.

The three-year project begins in 2020 and builds on AsRA’s ongoing water quality monitoring of Mirror Lake and the Chubb watershed.

Funds were awarded through the Lake Champlain Basin Program’s technical grant program in cooperation with the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission.

Photo of scientist on Mirror Lake  provided by Ausable River Association.