Wetland Permit Applications & Documents

Obtaining a wetland permit (Notice of Intent or Request of Determination of Applicability)

Why do I need to obtain a wetland permit? Under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act (310 CMR 10) and the Watertown Wetlands Ordinance, you are required to get a permit if you dredge, fill, or alter the land in any way within the 150-foot buffer zone, or within 200 feet of any perennial (year-round) stream.

It is important to note that when designing your project, Watertown enforces the following buffers under the Wetlands Ordinance (Ch XV, section 154) and under the City’s Wetlands Ordinance Rules and Regulations.

  • A 25-foot No Disturbance Zone from all Wetland Resource Areas in which no activities or work can occur, including dumping of grass clippings and disturbance of existing vegetation.
  • A 50-foot No Build Zone from all Wetland Resource Areas in which no person shall build or enlarge any structure, parking lot, or impervious surface.

Application Timeline and Process

  1. Review the information included in the next section of this webpage to determine what permit you will need. If you need assistance, call the Conservation Office at 617-972-6426.
  2. Review the MA Wetlands Protection Act and the Watertown Wetlands Ordinance (ecode360.com) and Rules and Regs for the administration of the Watertown Wetlands Ordinance (WWO) (PDF)
  3. Go to Watertown Conservation Commission (opengov.com) to access the online permitting system. If this is your first time applying, you will need to set up an account. 
  4. Click on the Conservation Commission button to view all permits reviewed and approved by the Conservation Commission and select the appropriate permit. 
  5. Submit a completed application through Open Gov, and two hard copies to the Watertown Conservation Office, and one hard copy to the Northeast Regional Office of the Department of Environmental Protection (150 Presidential Way, Woburn, MA 01801), at least 14 days prior to a ConCom meeting. The ConCom meets the 1st Wednesday of every month at 7 PM. A full list of meeting schedules, application deadlines, and revised materials submission deadlines are available on the Conservation Commission’s main page. Please be aware that if you are submitting a Notice of Intent, abutters lists are automatically requested once the intake review is complete.
  6. Attend one or more scheduled ConCom meetings to present your application. Sometimes the ConCom can make a decision in one night. Other times they may request additional information, or want to conduct a site visit, and will continue your application to a date certain.
  7. Receive a decision from the ConCom. The decision will be issued hard copy for recording (if required) and a copy will be available through OpenGov. If a permit is issued, be sure to read through the entire permit you receive and pay attention to any conditions you are required to abide by!

To file for a Notice of Intent permit:

To file for a Request of Determination of Applicability (RDA) permit:

If looking to close out Order with a Certificate of Compliance (COC), please review this checklist:

Other Relevant Regulations