What you put down the drain and on your lawn is likely to end up in one of the three rivers.
Protecting the Sudbury, Assabet and Concord rivers is a daily exercise. At home, choose non-toxic household products that don’t contain phosphorus or harmful chemicals. Clean up after your pets to help keep fecal bacteria out of the river. Recharge stormwater on your house lot and maintain healthy soils and landscaping that doesn’t require irrigation and avoid using fertilizer that contains phosphorus. Avoid using coal tar-based driveway sealcoat. Using less water outside and inside will allow for better stream conditions and temperatures for sensitive species like brook trout. Planting and maintaining trees to shade the land, pavement and streams keeps streams cooler. The list below contains some helpful resources for making your home more river-friendly.
Your river stewardship can extend outside onto the rivers themselves by joining with others at river cleanups and invasive plant pulling. Get wet and possibly muddy and feel the satisfaction of making a tangible difference in our rivers!