ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF ROAD SALTING ON GROUND AND SURFACE WATER IN CONNECTICUT USING GIS

Sodium and chloride data have been assembled from multiple sources and digitized into a Microsoft Access™ database to examine the impact of salting on ground and surface water in Connecticut. The major sources of data include state health department reports, work project reports from the depression era of the 30s, USGS watershed reports from the 60s, the National Uranium Resource Evaluation data set of the late 70s, water quality monitoring reports from production and domestic wells, the USGS National Water Information Systems data set and the USGS NAWQA data set. Using ESRI ArcGIS ™ spatial and temporal trends in sodium and chloride data are being investigated. Of particular interest are correlations with major roads, salt storage facilities and the surficial and bedrock geology. Salt concentration data layers are being developed covering a period ranging from 1895 to the present. These are being compared to data layers of potential sources of salt. Temporal changes in salt anomalies permit evaluating whether sources are anthropomorphic or geologic in nature. Salt concentration increases are being assessed in relation to urban development, land use changes and population growth.