What can a typical homeowner do to improve the health of streams?
Get a soil test before you fertilize and then, apply fertilizers and pesticides responsibly. Don’t cut the grass to the edge of a stream or pond. Leave a buffer to filter pollutants and provide wildlife habitat. NVSWCD staff can advise homeowners on problems with ponds, eroding streams, drainage, problem soils, and other natural resource concerns. For more information about managing land for a healthier watershed, read You and Your Land, a Homeowner’s Guide for the Potomac River Watershed and the Watershed Stewardship Guide.
