Communities in the Northern parts of the United States have used salt to keep icy roads safe during winter for many years. But, some experts now say salt harms nearby fresh water supplies. Putting salt on icy roads helps reduce traffic accidents and prevents people from slipping and falling on roads and walkways. But researchers have found growing evidence that salt used on roads is increasing the salinity in many lakes in the U.S. Instead, they recommend using other materials such as beet juice, molasses, or even waste products from making beer or cheese. Victoria Kelly is a road salt expert at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York. She said scientists have been seeing increased amounts of salt in streams, rivers and lakes. Now, she said, scientists are asking: What is going to happen to the organisms living in freshwater bodies? And what will happen to the freshwater bodies as a whole?