Tewksbury offers lawn care tips to protect stormwater

The Town of Tewksbury on Nov. 2 shared a set of lawn care and property maintenance tips aimed at keeping stormwater runoff clean.

The town said rain runoff from lawns can be a major source of stormwater pollution, noting that routine tasks like raking leaves, mowing, fertilizing, watering and cleaning can affect streams, wetlands and rivers in ways that can harm human health, wildlife and the environment.

For mowing, the town recommends removing no more than one-third of the grass length at a time, leaving clippings on the lawn or composting them, and sweeping grass from paved areas back onto the lawn. Leaves and other organic matter should be composted or thrown away rather than left in streets or dumped near streams, wetlands, rivers or wooded areas; residents with large amounts of leaves are encouraged to use the town's annual curbside leaf pickup.

On watering, the town advises against overwatering and suggests directing downspouts to a depressed area or garden bed so water soaks into the yard rather than running into the street.

For fertilizing, residents are urged to fertilize only when necessary, test soil beforehand, follow label instructions, avoid fertilizing before heavy rain, and use compost when possible. The town also suggests keeping a mowing and fertilizing buffer near streams, wetlands, rivers or wooded areas.

Other suggestions include installing a rain garden, adding swales or berms, using porous materials such as brick, flagstone, stone or gravel instead of asphalt or concrete, and planting trees and shrubs to capture rainwater. For exterior cleaning, the town recommends dry methods like a broom and dustpan, or diverting any wash water to landscaping.

The town's reminder: "ONLY RAIN IN THE DRAIN."

More information is available on the Town of Tewksbury's Stormwater website. Questions can be directed to Christian Mann at cmann@tewksbury-ma.gov or 978-640-4440 Ext. 237.

Source: Town of Tewksbury announcement, November 2, 2026.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the original announcement.