Whether you are an MS4 permittee, a homeowner, or a business owner, there are upcoming training and workshop opportunities for winter maintenance, provided by the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA):

• Mini Maintenance Workshops: Managing Snow and Ice – February 1st and February 3rd
• Level 2 Online Certification Training – March 2nd and April 15th

For homeowners, business owners, and more:

The upcoming Mini Maintenance Workshops are the same workshop as those held in December of 2020, but in case you missed it, the MWMO will be hosting two more:

• Monday, February 1st from 12:00-12:45 pm
• Wednesday, February 3rd from 6:00-6:45 pm

Both workshops are the same, so choose the one that works best for your schedule. The workshops will be on Zoom and are free, but registration is required. Click the workshop you want to attend from the list above to register, or go to the MWMO’s Upcoming Events page.

Workshop description:

“With more snow on the way before spring arrives, it’s not too late to consider how you can manage snow and ice while using less salt.

Salt is an important tool in winter safety, but it also permanently pollutes our rivers, lakes, and streams. Learn ways to prevent slippery sidewalks using methods that reduce pollution in local waterbodies for your home, community building, or office with MWMO staff in this brief Zoom workshop!”

Unable to attend? Learn more about managing now and ice on the MWMO’s Snow and Ice Removal resource page.

For MS4 permittees:

Although the upcoming MPCA Smart Salting for Parking Lots & Sidewalks Certification Training on February 9th is full, MS4 permittees can use an upcoming Level 2 Online Certification Training to help meet their winter operations assessment requirement if they are subject to a chloride TMDL. Level 2 is a certification for public and private organizations to help you assess your salt use and take steps to minimize it. Included in the training is how to use the Smart Salting Assessment tool (SSAt).

There are two upcoming Level 2 training sessions:

• Tuesday, March 2nd from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm, hosted online by the MPCA
• Thursday, April 15th from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm, hosted online by the MPCA

There is no cost to register for these training sessions. You can also earn your Level 2 certification through use of the online tool directly. Learn more on the MPCA’s Smart Salting training website.

Photo from MWMO.