Abstract
Road salt is an established source of water quality degradation in urban streams. However, road salt literature is lacking in British Columbia, making it difficult to assess its potential ecological impact and recommend solutions. My research identified road salt pulses in five study creeks located in Metro Vancouver between July 2021 and February 2023. Road salt pulse amplitude and duration were averaged for each creek and related to land use and weather variables using partial least squares regression (PLSR). Results indicated an increase in pulse amplitude along a rural to urban land use gradient. Rural catchments were characterized by greater riparian intactness, elevation, relief, and forest coverage. Urban catchments had greater built and paved surface coverage, and pavement connectivity. Results suggest that road salt pulses can be mitigated through low impact development, and riparian and floodplain restoration. Public education and adherence to road salt best management practices are also key.