TCMA Chloride Management Plan - Prioritizing and Implementing Restoration and Protection - Watershed management organizations and districts and Soil and Water Conservation Districts

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The WMOs, WDs, and SWCDs play a significant role in the management of the TCMA waters and provide an opportunity to combine the goals and recommendations of the CMP into watershed plans. This important group, together with environmental organizations, agencies and educators are the key organizations to help increase awareness of the problem and encourage reduced salt use across the TCMA. Much of the changes in attitudes and environmental awareness has stemmed from this group of organizations. There are a wide range of possibilities for incorporating key elements of this CMP into watershed plans, as well as important roles that the WMO/WDs can take to help reduce salt use.

The WMOs/WDs/SWCDs play an important role in developing funding programs specifically for private entities, who may have limited funding options.

Example: Years 1-2

• Partner with the MPCA to offer the Smart Salting winter maintenance training for local private and public winter maintenance professionals each winter.
• Educate 50% of constituents on the benefits of smart salt use.
• Create awareness about the environmental impacts of chloride through education, outreach, and other activities to local residents, applicators, elected officials and businesses.
• Monitor local surface waters for chloride concentrations to track trends, track progress and understand the movement of chloride through the watershed.
• Develop incentive based program for chloride reduction strategies.
• Host yearly workshops for local winter maintenance professionals to encourage the use of the WMAt and track progress of BMPs implemented.
• Provide a measuring cup type salt scooper to homeowners and small businesses at the point of sale of salt in order to raise awareness of the amount of salt they are using.

Example: Years 3-5

• Educate 75% of constituents on the benefits of smart salt use.
• Offer grants to private and public winter maintenance organizations for upgrading equipment or implementing innovating practices.
• Implement a rebate program to residents to install on-demand water softeners and remove old, inefficient water softeners.
• Provide “free” advertising to private applicators who meet “smart salting” criteria.
• Encourage local businesses and public buildings to reduce salt use through improved insurance benefits and liability protection.
• Partner with local stakeholder on innovative projects to reduce chloride at the source and alternatives for de-icing and water softening.

Example: Years 6-10

• Educate 100% of constituents on the benefits of smart salt use.
• Create model ordinances, educational materials, or incentives for the organization or others to use and/or adopt. For example:
  • Restrict the application of salt within a city to trained winter maintenance professionals.
  • Citizens are asked to prove their knowledge of salt impacts on the environment and sign a pledge to use less salt, in return for a stormwater fee credit.
  • Create consumer awareness materials available at participating stores (promoting the sales of shovels and snow blowers instead of ice melt).
  • Encourage hazardous household waste centers to accept ice-melt products.