Road salt runoff has conservationist worried about salmon

Sand and salt were used on Metro Vancouver's roads in exceptional quantities this year and now much of that material is finding its way into local waterways.

John Templeton, chair of the Stoney Creek Environment Committee, says all that road salt could hurt local salmon.

"This past six-week spell that we have been experienced has been the hardest that I have had to endure when it comes to taking the readings," Templeton told On The Coast's Jake Costello.

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"In a normal month in the winter, you would never expect to see a spike of a high reading, but unfortunately we have seen huge spikes where salt applied to roads leads to huge spikes in the water [salinity]."

Templeton says saltier water in streams where salmon spawn increases the mortality rate of eggs. He also says it can lead to more deformities in the fish.

Templeton says over the last few weeks, the water's salinity has sometimes been four times higher than provincial guidelines.

"When you see it over the provincial guidelines, it's serious," he said.

However, recent rains have been helping out by diluting some of the saltiness, and he's hopeful in coming days the salinity will decrease further.

He's also hopeful future winters will see less salt used on local roads.

With files from Jake Costello and CBC Radio One's On The Coast

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