2025 Salt Symposium
The 26th Salt Symposium will be held Tuesday, August 5th, 2025. It is a day-long virtual event bringing together professionals around the world to share their expertise on current research, planning, and initiatives surrounding chloride: including snow and ice management, low salt design, water softening, wastewater, agriculture.
The Salt Symposium is an annual event focused on understanding the concerns, research, solutions, and management of chloride use and innovation that can move us to a lower salt future to improve community sustainability and protect vital freshwater systems and infrastructure.
This event is live-stream only.
If you have questions or requests, email Salt Symposium.
Salt Symposium Resources
- Draft Agenda
- Our Sponsors
- Leadership Award Nominations
- Technical Assistance
- Future Topic Suggestions
Draft Speaker Presentation Info - 2025
August 5th Sessions
Beginning at: 7:00 AM (All times shown are CDT)
Log in early to test your connection and visit our Sponsors
Connie is recognized as a national expert on salt reduction strategies. With 40 years’ of experience, she began her career in the software design industry before leaving to put her energy into protecting the environment and our waters. In 1996, she founded Fortin Consulting with the goal to unite citizens, environmental organization, and industry leaders in protecting freshwater resources. In the beginning of 2022, Fortin Consulting was acquired by Bolton & Menk, Inc. where Connie has been working on integrating her extensive knowledge on chloride and its impacts into the Bolton & Menk’s repertoire. She enjoys finding ways to facilitate change that is both practical and progressive.
8:10 AM – Chloride Updates, Initiatives, and Funding
Alycia Overbo
Minnesota Department of Health
Presenter bio information coming soon.
8:40 AM – Chloride Optimization for Water Softening Installers
Carolyn Dindorf
Bolton & Menk, Inc.
Carolyn is a Limnologist with Bolton & Menk, Inc. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in biology and chemistry and a Master of Arts in biology with a limnology emphasis. Her love for the natural environment can be encapsulated with her expertise in chlorides, aquatic invasive species, shoreline restoration, technical writing, and research and education pertaining to reducing impacts of chlorides from water softening, winter and fertilizer. Carolyn’s work revolves around protecting and improving water resources—contributing her extensive knowledge to environmental projects to reduce risks to the environment and its inhabitants.
9:10 AM – Road Salt and Increasing Radium Concentrations in an Aquifer
Bruce D. Lindsey
U.S. Geological Survey
Presenter bio information coming soon.
9:40 AM | Mid-morning Break
10:00 AM – Storm Severity Index: Leveraging Technology to Reduce Salt Use
Eric Faulkner and Tyler Buerger
Vaisala and City of Oak Creek, WI
Presenter bio information coming soon.
10:30 AM – Comparing Salt Use on Permeable and Asphalt Parking Lots
Lorna Murison
Credit Valley Conservation, Ontario
Presenter bio information coming soon.
11:00 AM – Cutting Edges
TBD
TBD
tbd
Presenter bio information coming soon.
11:30 AM – 5 MINUTE UPDATE: Standardizing Winter Maintenance Terminology
Rick Nelson
AASHTO
Presenter bio information coming soon.
11:40 AM | Mid-day Break for Lunch
Connie is recognized as a national expert on salt reduction strategies. With 40 years’ of experience, she began her career in the software design industry before leaving to put her energy into protecting the environment and our waters. In 1996, she founded Fortin Consulting with the goal to unite citizens, environmental organization, and industry leaders in protecting freshwater resources. In the beginning of 2022, Fortin Consulting was acquired by Bolton & Menk, Inc. where Connie has been working on integrating her extensive knowledge on chloride and its impacts into the Bolton & Menk’s repertoire. She enjoys finding ways to facilitate change that is both practical and progressive.
12:40 PM – Winter Design for Pedestrian Safety & Chloride Reduction
David Veneziano
Iowa State University
Presenter bio information coming soon.
Presenter bio information coming soon.
1:40 PM | Afternoon Break
2:00 PM – Municipal Decision Making Around Winter Maintenance in Response to Climate
Wyatt Weatherson
Toronto Metropolitan University, Ontario
Presenter bio information coming soon.
2:30 PM – 5 MINUTE UPDATE: Cold Climate Center of Excellence Update
Andy Erickson
St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, MN
Presenter bio information coming soon.
Presenter bio information coming soon.
3:10 PM – Addressing Chloride Reduction through Education, Collaboration, Funding, and Regulation
Erica Sniegowski & Elizabeth Boor
Nine Mile Creek Watershed District, MN
Presenter bio information coming soon.
3:40 PM | Conclusions
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
Special & Promotional Sponsors
