One third of all salt in America is used for ice on the roads.

As winter approaches, Lawrence County is getting prepared.

“Generally in April, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) will ask every county, village or township how much salt they want,” Lawrence County Engineer Doug Cade said. “It’s hard to know that far in advance how much will be needed, but I make a guess at how much salt we will need. What is ordered is all that is going to be given.”

Cade does all of the projecting and ordering of salt in Lawrence County himself.

This year Lawrence County will have 1,200 tons of salt on hand, with about 150 tons left over from last year. Two thirds of the 1,200 tons was delivered in the summer at $64 a ton, up $17.79 from the 2012 summer salt price, but only up one dollar from last year. The last third will be delivered at the winter salt price of $80 a ton.

“We only use what we need,” Cade said. “We don’t want to be wasteful.”

In Lawrence County, salt is mixed with grit, a fine gravel, to conserve a little bit on the salt being used. Grit is ordered from BWC Trucking at $15.09 a ton.

“We don’t want to ever run out of salt,” Cade said.

Extra salt will always carry over to the next year if it is not used.