Impact of
Winter Road Management on the Roadside Environment of the Adirondack Park
Winter road management practices, such as
the use of chemical deicers and sand abrasives, can negatively impact the
environment and human health. An interdisciplinary research team that I led
recently co
mpleted
a study on the environmental impact of road salt and sand use at the Cascade
Lakes and Chapel Pond along New
York State Route 73 (the main route to Lake Placid) in the Adirondack Mountains;
the project was funded by
the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDEC).
The objectives of our research included (1) assessing the impact of salt and
sand on roadside soil and vegetation, to determine whether winter road
management caused a die-off of paper birch (Betula papyrifera); (2)
evaluating the impact of accumulated road salt and sand on the water
quality and biota of the lakes adjacent to the road, with an emphasis on
understanding whether a state-endangered fish (the round whitefish Prosopium
cylandriceum) is stressed in the lakes due degraded water quality;
and (3) recommending management options to relevant
state agencies on how to mitigate and reduce the environmental impact of winter
road
management without
compromising motorist safety or convenience.
The research results and management recommendations made by our
research team are found in the report linked below.
Publication
Langen
T.A.,
M.R Twiss, T.C. Young, K.J. Janoyan, J.C. Stager, J.D. Osso Jr., H. Prutzman,
B.T. Green. 2006. Environmental impacts of winter road management at the Cascade
Lakes and Chapel Pond. Final report, prepared for the New York State Department
of Transportation, Albany NY. Clarkson Center for the Environment Report Number
1. 328 pp.
reprint
Press Releases & Clippings
(linked)
last updated 8 November 2006
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