LAKE PLACID — The Ausable River Association’s (AsRA) salt use survey is now online.

The survey is for residents, business owners and independent contractors in Lake Placid, with an emphasis on Mirror Lake.

Developed in partnership with the Adirondack Watershed Institute, the survey is part of an effort to determine the amount of salt entering Mirror Lake and the Chubb River. Funded by the Lake Champlain Basin Program through a multi-year technical grant, it’s another piece of AsRA’s ongoing science-based effort to find a solution to road salt contamination in these waterways.

The salt survey is specific to residents and businesses in the Chubb River watershed. The watershed encompasses the area surrounding Lake Placid and includes the village of Lake Placid. Completing the survey will take approximately 5-20 minutes, depending on the size of the area that you care for in your winter maintenance. Those who aren’t sure whether they live in the Chubb River Watershed can email AsRA at salt@ausableriver.org.

Survey questions include: what residents use to remove snow and ice — for example, a shovel, snow blower, sand, salt, and/or brine etc. AsRA is also trying to gauge the level of service that is desired.

The survey can be filled out at tinyurl.com/LPsaltsurvey. The survey can also be provided over the phone, and a print version can be made available by contacting the Ausable River Association. Complete the survey for a chance to win a $100 gift card to the Bookstore Plus or a $100 gift card to Green Goddess Natural Market.

“The salt survey is critical to understanding the amounts of salt entering Mirror Lake,” said Leanna Thalmann, AsRA’s water quality associate. “The town of North Elba and the village of Lake Placid highway crews are tracking their usage. Now, we need to know how much salt is being applied to sidewalks, driveways, walkways and parking lots by the businesses and residents of Lake Placid.”

To learn more about AsRA’s work on Mirror Lake, visit ausableriver.org. For more information about the survey, contact salt@ausableriver.org.