Fall Leaves

The leaves are lovely, but they can create some issues - and so can the way we dispose of them! Here are some tips from OM's covenant advisors:

🍂Rain Garden Maintenance: if you have a rain garden, make sure leaves don't clog the water inlet.

🍂Remove leaves from water runoff areas, “dry river beds,” and gutters to prevent clogging.

🍂Don't blow leaves onto neighboring properties or CA Open Space. Besides being just plain rude (yep, we said it), it's also against rules and regulations.

🍂Don't put leaves in piles on the street to be picked up by the County. Howard County does not have leaf vacuums. All leaves must be placed in paper yard-waste bags, open-top bins, or a Feed the Green Bin (if you're enrolled in the program) and put out for pickup on your yard debris collection day. Visit the County's Yard Trim Collections page for more info.

A Note from from CA's Watershed Resident Advisory Panel: Keep Leaves Out of Storm Drains

Fallen leaves are great for improving your soil, but leaves that wash into streets can clog storm drains and contribute to localized flooding. Storm drains also carry water—and anything in it—directly to our streams, lakes, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay.

As leaves break down in waterways, they release nutrients that can contribute to algae blooms, reducing oxygen levels and harming aquatic life.

Instead of letting leaves wash into the street, use them as mulch beneath trees and shrubs or in your garden. You can also add them to your compost bin or place them in paper bags for collection at the Alpha Ridge yard waste area.

If you live near a storm drain, consider volunteering to keep it clear or taking turns with neighbors to check it regularly. It is especially important to remove leaves and other debris before and after storms.