Winter chloride concentrations in urban wetlands and streams around Lake Mendota
One measure of when winter begins in the Class of 1918 Marsh is when ice cover first appears. This begins a winter tale of changes above and below the waters that are contributing to the degradation of this prized Preserve ecosystem. These changes follow from the pile up of snow on the campus and the subsequent application of road salt to streets, parking lots, and sidewalks, and to the storage of excess snow at the snow pile adjacent to the 1918 Marsh (see photo). Road salt, in various forms, includes ‘chloride’ ions that are toxic at high concentrations;