Winter, which only a week ago seemed indestructible, has really taken a beating this past week with the warm weather and sun. The sun is getting higher in the sky, and as it does, its intensity increases. A wan January sun at midday does little to warm the ground, but here in late February, our midday sun is burning away at the snow banks. It’s the season for some returning warmth, but it is also the season for many deer collisions. Melting snow by the roads is exposing salty areas and a little of the grassy shoulder, both of which are treats for our whitetails.
Unfortunately, deer don’t have much in the way of road sense, and they try to evade cars in the way that has always worked for evading wolves – run fast and weave unpredictably. It’s a winning strategy against a pursuing wolf, but it loses in a big way against a moving car.
There are plenty of deer carcasses along Hwy 61 right now, and while it isn’t a lovely sight for us, it is a banquet for the crows, ravens and eagles. It is also a cheap meal for lone wolves. Single wolves may have a hard time taking down game as easily as a pack, and they are often reduced to scavenging roadkill. Unfortunately, roadside dining is hazardous, and all of these scavengers are running the risk of becoming roadkill themselves.
Deer may damage your car, but the salt on the roads works its damage more insidiously, and I would bet it ends the life of more Minnesota cars than deer do. Salt does more damage than just contributing to rusty cars. Road salt in the environment is a pollutant found in many streams. This is no surprise – one study found that up to 70 pecent of salt laid down bounces off the road and doesn’t serve the intended purpose of melting icy roadways. As a result, roads, driveways, and sidewalks tend to be over-salted. If you need to apply salt, and most of us do this time of year, aim for a scatter of around three inches between salt crystals. More salt than this does not speed thawing, and it is just wasting salt and money. If the area dries and there is salt left on the drive or walk, sweep it up and reuse it. These and many other tips on salt use can be found on websites maintained by watershed districts in the Twin Cities area where salinization of streams has become a large problem.
Our local streams are less polluted for several reasons. One is the nature of the activity in the watershed. Our streams primarily drain naturally to forested land, and the forest soils help to clean the water before it reaches the stream. There are also fewer roads and other sources of stream pollution however, land disturbing activities like forest fires and timber harvests can contribute to stream degradation, mostly due to increased runoff and erosion. That’s why when the Forest Service plans a prescribed fire or a timber sale, we are careful to leave buffers and other stabilization measures in place to help hold the soil and reduce runoff until vegetation can reestablish itself.
You can help reduce stream degradation by reducing salt use on your drive and walkways in winter, and in the summer, reduce chemical use on your lawn.
Used correctly, there is no doubt that salt and other chemicals help improve road safety. This is the time of year to really watch for scattered icy patches, particularly in the morning when yesterday’s meltwater has frozen overnight. Our roads in the Forest haven’t melted enough to create mud problems and soft spots yet, but it is something to keep your eyes on in the coming weeks.
While the roads remain frozen, trucks are still hauling timber on the Tofte District using the Trappers Lake/Sawbill Landing Road, Perent Lake Road, The Grade, Dumbell River Road, the Wanless Road and Cook County 27. On the Gunflint District, logging traffic will be on Cook County 14 and 60, the Sunfish Lake Road, Greenwood Road, the Gunflint Trail, and the Pike Lake Road, Cascade Bluffs Road and Cook County 7.
Salt and roadkill aside, it has been a lovely time to get outside. The sun seems warm, and the possibility of spring seems to be in the air. It would be good to get in a few more skis, but we may not have many more opportunities, so get out there this weekend and enjoy the forest.
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