News and Updates


Let's join together as a town to Beautify Burlington this April! In honor of Earth Day, we encourage you to find time picking up litter around your neighborhood throughout the month of April. 

Need supplies? Stop by the Conservation Department at 25 Center Street for bags and gloves to help you pick up litter. 

Share your involvement with us at #BeautifyBurlingtonMA or by sending pictures to conservation@burlington.org 

Brought to you by Bring Me to Burlington, Burlington's Conservation Department, and Keep Burlington Beautiful.

Amended Stormwater Bylaw is in place

The Stormwater Bylaw (formerly known as the Erosion and Sedimentation Control Bylaw) was updated recently. After a lengthy process and with input from Town Departments and members of the public, the Bylaw was amended to reduce some thresholds and to require engineered plans for more projects, higher rainfall frequency estimates (NOAA Atlas 14+), additional abutter notifications and some limitations on tree removals. See the amended permit here and a table summarizing the requirements here. The changes became effective on December 29, 2022.


Adopt a Stormdrain

Help keep our waterways clean by adopting a drain in your neighborhood! See what this means here.

Click here to sign up to adopt a stormdrain. Find a drain by typing in a nearby address or by dragging the map. If the drain you want to adopt is available, you can claim it by clicking on it


Vine Brook Watershed Flood and Urban Heat Island Assessment

The final report on the Vine Brook Watershed Flood and Urban Heat Island Assessment is available. 

The report describes the methodoliogy of the assessment, describes 6 resilience actions and and proposes 6 nature-based solutions to flooding and heat islands in the Vine Brook watershed, near the the Burlington Mall.

The recommended Resilience actions are:

1. Sustainable/Climate Resilient Development

2. Public/Open/Recreational Space

3. Restoration of Developed Areas

4. Community Education to Support Climate Resilience

5. Reduce and Avoid Adverse Public Health Impacts and

6. Protect Residential Properties from Flooding

Memoranda describing how a program of Nature-based Solutions could be applied to various residential and  commercial properties and how each site fares using the Resilient MA Action Team (RMAT) Climate Resilience Design Standards tool are presented. Sites considered included:

• Location 1 – Burlington Mall South

• Location 2 – Lord Baron Apartments

• Location 3 – Decommissioned Water Treatment Facility

• Location 4 – 4th Avenue North Development Complex

• Location 5 – Lexington Street Neighborhood South

• Location 6 – New England Executive Park

For more information on this project see the project website: https://climateresilientburlington.wordpress.com/



Stormwater & Erosion and Sedimentation Control Bylaw changes

The Conservation Commission is proposing to amend the Stormwater Bylaw and welcomes your input!

The proposed changes stem from the increasing size of structures and impervious surfaces on single-family lots and the resultant increase in stormwater run-off and flooding. See the proposed amendments to the bylaw here and an explanation of the changes from Conservation Commission Chair Larry Cohen here. 

If you'd like to know how the stormwater drainage system in Burlington works, past intern Matt Hemler describes it in this video.