A View of the Valley

by Linda Schwanke Salt. It’s one of the most versatile of minerals and at the same time kind of the root of all evil. As a word, it’s a noun (salt on the table), a verb (salted the sidewalk), an adjective (seasoned with salt, salty comments), place names (there are rivers named salt in Arizona, Kentucky and Missouri) and an abbreviation (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks S.A.L.T.)  Fun local salt fact: renowned artist Peg Miller, late of Spring Green, was the model for the Morton Salt girl. There is a mural Peg painted in the dining room of the General Store that always makes me smile. She was one of our more interesting residents.  Speaking of the General Store, Clara Peller of Wendy’s “Where the Beef?” fame was Ellen DuPuy’s aunt. When Ellen and Phyliss Dyer, with their husbands Bill and Chris, owned the General Store there was a picture of Clara on the wall. Which has nothing to do with salt but is pretty neat.  Back to salt. Bodies need salt to function. Too little is not good. Too much is really not good. While salting your food is easy enough to avoid (kind of – for me it’s a work in progress to cut down on using salt when I’m cooking) it’s not the biggest culprit of too much salt. There is salt in processed foods that really contributes to problems with excess salt which can lead to high blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. (Processed foods aren’t as hard to avoid but there are times when nothing hits the spot like a sausage.) That’s the bad news. Also in the bad news department as far as salt is concerned is its use on roads and sidewalks. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) sent out a press release about it: “While salt keeps Wisconsin roads safe during winter, using more salt than needed comes at a price. In Wisconsin and much of the U.S., chlorides from salt are infiltrating lakes, streams and groundwater. According to Wisconsin Salt Wise, one teaspoon of salt is all it takes to make five gallons of water toxic for freshwater organisms. “The DNR measures chloride levels in Wisconsin rivers over time, monitoring cumulative chloride loading results at 26 of the state’s largest river systems. Recent studies have shown a steep increase in chloride loads. In the early 2000s, the DNR measured about 600,000 tons of chlorides annually. By 2018, that number increased to nearly 800,000 tons per year. Over 40 lakes and streams in Wisconsin have been designated as impaired by high salt concentrations. “These increased chloride loads are partly due to road salting, but chlorides also enter Wisconsin waters because of water softeners and fertilizers. “Increased chloride levels have significant impacts on everyone’s daily lives, including environmental and economic effects. Nationwide, winter salt causes $5 billion in damage to infrastructure each year, causing corrosion of bridges, roads and other infrastructure. Road salt can also impact pets by causing irritated paws or other health concerns if ingested. “Reducing salt use is key to decreasing chloride loads. Follow these steps to right-size your salt use: “- Shovel: Clear walkways and other areas before the snow turns to ice. The more snow removed manually, the less salt you will need and the more effective it will be. “-Scatter: When using salt, scatter it so that there is space between the grains. A 12-ounce coffee mug of salt is enough to treat an entire 20-foot driveway or 10 sidewalk squares.  “-Switch: Salt won’t work when pavement temperatures drop below 15 degrees. Switch to sand for traction or a different ice melter that works at lower temperatures. “The DNR works to reduce chlorides at the source through permitting programs for municipalities and industries. These measures include tuning up or replacing water softeners, identifying significant chloride contributors and finding reductions, process efficiencies or improvements and instituting sewer use ordinances. “Additionally, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation works with Wisconsin counties to reduce road salt application using brine and pre-wetting road surfaces, both of which significantly reduce salt use.” We all know how treacherous sidewalks and streets can be without getting salted, especially now as snow is melting and then freezing, melting and freezing, again and again. But being aware of salt use, both in the kitchen and out of doors, and cutting back is really, really important for the health of not just our families but the earth.  Stay in touch. My phone number is (608) 574-3159 – call or text me anytime. You can also email me at homenewseditor@newspubinc.com or write to me at the Home News, P.O. Box 39, Spring Green WI 53588.  Visit our website at homenewsrv.com Get in touch with Gwen for sports or features at homenewssports@newspubinc.com. If you need a display ad, Dave Pronold can be reached at homenewssales@newspubinc.com or by calling him on his cell at 588-4777. Display ads, or ads that are in boxes, are due by 1 p.m. on Wednesdays for the Buyer’s Guide and Home News.