Salt Watch QAPP Approved

CMC Takes a Step Forward in Crowdsource Monitoring with Salt Watch QAPP Approval

The Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative (CMC) team recently made significant progress in expanding its water quality monitoring reach by submitting a new crowdsource-style Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) to the EPA in partnership with the Izaak Walton League’s Salt Watch program. Salt Watch is a volunteer-driven water monitoring initiative that has been empowering everyday citizens since 2018 to test local waterways for chloride pollution. This issue is a growing concern driven largely by winter road salt runoff. While road salt keeps roads and sidewalks safe, it poses real risks to freshwater fish and wildlife, and can even make its way into the drinking water of the more than 117 million Americans who rely on local streams.

Securing an approved EPA QAPP for the Salt Watch chloride monitoring program marks an important first step in formally integrating this type of entry-level, community-based monitoring into the CMC’s broader framework. This milestone reflects the CMC’s commitment to recognizing and elevating the value of volunteer science. The team plans to continue exploring ways to incorporate additional crowdsource-style programs like Salt Watch into its monitoring networks.

In the meantime, you don’t have to wait to get involved! Visit iwla.org/salt-watch to request a free Salt Watch kit. The kit includes everything you need to start testing chloride levels in your local streams. Together, we can build a clearer picture of road salt’s impact on our waterways and take meaningful action to protect them.