OTTAWA COUNTY, MI - West Michigan students in environmental classes have teamed up with Ottawa County on a “citizen science project” aimed at discovering where road salt is being overused along the Pigeon River watershed.

The students are part of an environmental field studies program held at the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District’s (OAISD) Careerline Tech Center (CTC), which helps prepare high schoolers for the workforce.

They are now working with the Ottawa County Conservation District.

According to a June 2024 article published by Michigan State University Extension, road salt - also known as sodium chloride - is used to reduce the melting point of water, which helps keep ice off the roads when temperatures drop below freezing.

The practice has been used since the 1940s.

Bu

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