By Mark Petho
When the office phone rings at a soil and water conservation district, you never know what the call will be regarding. Oftentimes, people will call in with questions about farming practices, forestry concerns, SWPPP reviews and even how to pay their water bill — hold on, let me get you the number to the water department.
Regardless of why somebody calls the office, a SWCD staff member will always be happy to help answer your question. Some answers we know like the back of our hand, but this is an example of a concern that took a moment to research, but in the end, had an unexpected explanation. Allow me to further explain…
If you happened to be one of the many motorists traveling the roads on Sunday, June 11, you may have been doing a double take as to what was on the roads and in the highway ditches. A white, bubbly substance was observed by many here in the upper Ohio Valley and surrounding area. Though most did not experience any issues, some people reported feeling their cars lose traction as if they hit a patch of black ice — extremely unlikely considering the hot and humid weather that is summertime in Ohio.
So, what was this sudsy substance that seemed to cover so many streets? Well, it was soap. No, there was not a truck driving around the valley spilling gallons upon gallons of Tide or Ajax, this was a naturally occurring phenomenon thanks to our northern neighbors.
During the week of June 5-11, you might remember looking outside and observing how hazy the sky appeared, or perhaps experiencing the heavy feeling in your chest as you walked outside and took a breath of not-so-fresh air. Smoke and ash from the devastating Canadian wildfires traveled south, affecting air quality for much of the mid-Atlantic, northeastern United States and Great Lakes territory.
Throughout this region, EPA air quality monitoring indicated levels to be in the moderate to unhealthy category at times. Particulates of wood ash left a fine dusting on just about every surface — creating a nuisance more than anything.
This is where things start to get interesting. As this ash particulate lay dormant when the rain moved in on Sunday the 11, a chemical reaction occurred, and lye was created as rain mixed with the dusting of ash. The concentration of lye was weak, but when mixed with the oils found on the roadways, it was just enough in some areas to create a crude soap. A simple but effective recipe for detergent, and even used throughout the course of history. Wood ash and water are about as simple as it gets for making soap — just add grease or oil to create the suds.
I invite you to take the word of this SWCD staff member, or perhaps experiment yourself. Conduct an internet search for “Wood Ash Soap” and next time you’re camping, or perhaps cleaning out the fireplace, you too can recreate what Mother Nature delivered to the valley on that rainy summer Sunday.
(Mark Petho is the Stormwater Resources Coordinator at Jefferson SWCD located in Steubenville, Ohio. To reach Mark, email him at mpetho@jeffersoncountyoh.com or call 740.264.9790.)
