In Canada, sodium chloride (NaCl) is often used as a de-icing agent during winter to enhance road conditions. Current research on NaCl has predominantly focused on chloride's effects on water, overlooking sodium. Sodium can accumulate in soil resulting in the loss of soil structure, increased decomposition of organic matter, and displacement of essential nutrients for vegetation. These effects raise concerns about the potential salinization of riparian soils due to increased Na concentrations in streams resulting from road salt application. This study evaluated the sodium sorption-desorption isotherms of 18 surface riparian soil types across southern Ontario through Equilibrium Adsorption Batch experiments using sodium concentrations related to current levels of road salt pollution. The sodium adsorption process followed a Freundlich empirical isotherm indicative of no strict maximum retention capacity within the tested concentration range (0 to 4800 mg/L). The soils exhibited significant variations in adsorption capacities, with Kf values ranging from 0.02 to >5. Organic matter content exerted the greatest control on sodium sorption, followed by clay content. The sodium accumulates in the soil mainly by replacing calcium, magnesium and potassium, which may impact riparian plant fertility. Significant proportions of this adsorbed sodium, however, readily desorbed back into pure water, suggesting that the first flushes of precipitation after the road salt application season can easily replace the sodium in the soils. The net effect of this temporary storage of sodium on road salt-impacted riparian soils may be an annual desorption and leaching of essential macronutrients from the riparian soil exchange sites.