Hold the Salt: Paving the way for better road salt storage

The City of Calgary is setting a new standard in its efforts to prevent the release of stored road salts to the environment. The City’s state-of-the-art 194th Avenue Roads Maintenance Depot encompasses structures and practices that minimize the risk of wind erosion, run-off and leaching of road salt products. Traditionally, municipal road maintenance yards have provided uncovered storage of sanding chips (96% fine gravel and 4% salt), often on permeable surfaces. The gradual release of salt product from these stockpiles can have an adverse effect on wildlife, vegetation, soil, surface water and groundwater. Measures implemented at the 194th Avenue Depot are proving successful in containing stored road salts, thereby protecting local watersheds and aquifers as well as the surrounding soil, flora and fauna from salt contamination. The site is helping redefine salt storage operations at all existing Calgary yards and will serve as a model for future road maintenance facilities. Construction of the depot began in 2000 and the site became operational in the winter of 2003/2004.