Melting Away

Sand and dirt on Shady Rill Road

With the unseasonably warm weather last week, I couldn't help but notice the large buildup of dirt and sand along the roadside.  I see this every year and usually just complain about it as being unsightly.  But this time I  decided to take some photos and do a little thinking on the matter.  What I realized was that most of this is the result of sanding.  With each snow storm, a fresh layer of sand and dirt is sprayed on our roadways in an effort to keep us safe and provide traction in icy conditions.  In any given pass, it's really a small amount that's put down.  Most times it's barely even noticeable but it does the trick.  Over the course of the winter that sand builds up, layering itself in the ice and snow.  When the temperature rises to above freezing, the ice and snow melts, carrying with it the trapped sand (which has unfortunately picked up traces of gas and oil from our cars).  Slowly but surely that sand makes its way into roadside ditches and in many cases nearby streams, negatively impacting fish and water quality.

A build up of sand near Martin's Brook

It's a serious issue for sure, one that we can do little to stop.  The reality is that sand is a necessary part of our transportation system in the winter.  As with many environmental issues, the best we can do is use good science to inform our practices and hope that we've at least lessened our impact.  It's a hard reality to face but one that we must.  We can't win every battle, but we can certainly win the war.