Please Pick Up After Your Dogs

To The Editor:

Dog-Owners – Please Pick Up After Your Dog

Walking around Boston and many other communities, you have probably seen the messages stamped on some storm drains - “Don’t Dump - Drains to the Charles River.” Wherever you walk in New England, the ground at your feet drains to a body of water that is habitat to countless flora and fauna. In many cases that water is also an
invaluable source of drinking water to local communities. The Reading Town Forest is an interesting case. Not only does its land drain to the Ipswich River, but the river runs through the forest itself. The river and surrounding wetlands provide habitat, recreational opportunities, and valuable storage that prevents heavy storms from flooding our homes and roadways. And, for 14 towns downstream of Reading Town Forest, 350,000 people benefit from drinking the Ipswich waters regularly. Please return the favor, show the river some respect and pick up after your dog.

Why is this important?

How does it get into the river? Rainfall leads to runoff that carries contaminants from ground surface into the river. Some of the rainfall also infiltrates (percolates into) the soil, carrying contaminants present at the surface to groundwater which is an additional, important water resource, particularly when, during periods of little to no rainfall). By picking up after your dog, you play an important part in reducing the contaminant load to the river and its groundwater from runoff and infiltration.

To what extent is it harmful to the river?

Nitrate and phosphorus are contaminants in dog feces promote eutrophication, a condition where water bodies become stagnant (think of a green water body choked with tall grasses and pond scum) as excess plant and algal growth from these nutrients deplete the water of dissolved oxygen.

How is it harmful to people?

In addition to nitrate, other contaminants in dog feces include fecal coliform bacteria,--common culprits in waterborne diseases. Nitrate in higher concentrations can cause the disease methemoglobinemia, which is potentially fatal to infants. Clearly, if you live in one of the communities that rely on the river for drinking water, you do not want these contaminants in your water supply.

Is this really the dog owner’s responsibility?

Yes. In addition to the adverse effects on water quality in our river, dog feces left trailside (and sometimes, regrettably, right in the middle of the trail) every few yards detracts from the aesthetics of our Town Forest, particularly in winter. And anyone who has stepped in it knows that cleaning your shoes or boots of it is not high on the list of life’s favorite tasks.

So please - don’t leave the task of cleaning up after dogs in our Town Forest to the Town, or to conscientious fellow dog-walkers, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, or other volunteers. Do your part and clean up after your dog. Thanks!

Reading Town Forest Committee