Spatial distribution of road salt contamination of natural springs and seeps, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, USA

A total of 71 water samples were collected from 37 springs and seeps that flow from the Pennsylvanian aged Sharon Sandstone at Gorge Metro Park, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The geology of the study area consists of natural springs and seeps emerging from fractures, thin conglomeratic beds and the contact between the Sharon Sandstone and underlying Meadville Shale. The springs were analyzed for discharge, temperature, conductivity, pH, major anions, and major cations. The spring discharges ranged from less than 0.1 to 1000 ml/s. The total dissolved solids (TDS) ranged from 250 to 4733 mg/L. Most of the samples were classified as alkali-chloride-rich on a piper diagram. The 1:1 molar ratio of Na to Cl and the strong correlation between Cl and TDS (R-2=0.997) indicates that halite is the major dissolved solid in these spring waters. Br/Cl ratios indicate that the source of the halite is road salt. Results indicate that the magnitude of road salt contamination is directly related to the amount of road salt applied. In addition, it was found that the area affected by road salt contamination is highly localized.