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Ecological Risk Assessment

Frequently Asked Questions

Miscellaneous

  1. At what point is a waterbody considered too saline to be used as a drinking water source for wildlife?

1. At what point is a waterbody considered too saline to be used as a drinking water source for wildlife?

As a rule of thumb, any waterbody with a salinity of less than 1.5% should be considered as a potential drinking water source. Wildlife tend to utilize water with lower salinity levels and experience no adverse effects with salinity levels of 0 to 0.5%. Wildlife will tolerate salinity levels of 0.5 to 1.5% if no other sources are available; while dependent on a number of variables, adverse effects can be expected at salinity levels over 1.5%.

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