With warm weather (hopefully) coming, here is something to think about as you begin to prep your lawn for summer: Apply lawn fertilizers according to the label. Never over-apply and never apply before rain showers. Runoff, potentially carrying the extra nutrients from lawn and garden fertilizers, drains through catch basins, which flow into streams and ponds. In Woburn, most catch basins drain to either the Aberjona River or Horn Pond (also one of our drinking water sources). Once there, the nutrients help spawn algae, which can deplete the oxygen in the water for fish and damage the local ecosystem. Excess nutrients in Horn Pond could also result in increased water treatment costs to make the water safe to drink. In addition, the use of organic fertilizers can have better, longer-term benefits for your lawn and garden. Organic fertilizers feed the soil, not just the plant.
Watch this video from the Mystic River Watershed Association.
For more about the Mystic River Watershed Association click here.