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What can I do to help maintain the health of wetland areas?

You can do many things:

  1. Remove trash and bottles by hand from a wetland resource area.
  2. Dispose of yard waste off site or set up a compost pile greater than 25 feet from the wetland resource area. Leaves and grass clippings will decompose to become your best soil. However, if yard waste is disposed of within the wetland resource area or within the 50’ No-Disturbance Zone, it will be considered a violation under the local Wetlands Bylaw. If observed by the Conservation Department, it will be required to be removed by hand. Yard waste within a wetland resource area is considered fill and is strictly prohibited.
  3. Near the resource area, set up a small brush pile or two made of branches from yard waste. Brush piles make good wildlife cover. However, in general, brush piles should not be deposited in wetland resource areas as a means of disposal.  
  4. Do not dump motor oil into street drains. What goes into the drains and the ground in Georgetown eventually goes into our drinking supply water. Proper disposal of oil is available at the store where you purchased it.
  5. Do not dump anything that pollutes.
  6. Avoid or minimize the use of de-icing salt near resource areas and drainage systems. Many stores carry more nature-friendly alternatives.
  7. Avoid or minimize the use of fertilizers and poisons near resource areas and drainage systems. Some fertilizers can cause algae blooms in our surface waters. Some poisons can impact the plants and wildlife in the resource areas. Fertilizers utilized for landscaping and lawn care shall be slow-release, low-nitrogen types (5% or less), and shall not be used within 25-feet to any resource area.
  8. Make use of drywells for drainage to avoid heavy runoff into our watercourses from roofs and paving. The use of drywells also recharges the groundwater table by infiltrating rainwater.
  9. Maintain your septic system properly. Contact the Georgetown Board of Health for more information on proper septic system maintenance, such as pumping needs and the impacts of chemicals and hazardous wastes on important system microorganisms.
  10. When washing your car, direct the rinse water away from wetland resource areas and drainage systems.
  11. Talk to your neighbor if he / she is inadvertently impacting a resource area.
  12. Report violations to the Conservation Office.