In addition, salt gets mixed in with the snow on the roads and then finds its way to the nearby soil through plowing, runoff, and cars splashing it onto the berms. The salt then gets dissolved by the water and becomes part of the Total Dissolved Solids of the creek. Consequentially, salt from the roads increases the TDS of a waterway. Specifically it raises its salinity. Large bodies of water, such as rivers may not feel the effects of road salt.
TDS readings tend to decrease in the winter months due to heightened water discharge.
Small streams and creeks are the places where the amount of TDS from salt may jump a considerable amount. A sudden or extreme change in TDS and salinity can be harmful to aquatic life. Aquatic organisms require a certain amount of TDS in the water. If the amount of TDS is too great it will affect an organism s ability to regulate the amount of fluids in and out of its cells. This process is called osmosis.