What is a saline seep?
If water is introduced to an upland site in a watershed and is not removed by plant uptake, it could move below the root zone, travel down slope, and surface at a low spot in the watershed. In some geologic formations (especially in soils formed from glacial till or stratified marine deposits) water percolating through the soil dissolves salt from the soil. Once the water reaches a compacted layer or a zone of much greater horizontal conductivity, it can move laterally until it surfaces at a low spot in the watershed either as saline potholes or seep sites. This process is called saline seep. For more information, see the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
