Protect Lee County’s water quality and follow the fertilizer ordinance

LEE COUNTY / COURTESY IMAGE

Summer in Southwest Florida brings a much-anticipated reprieve from traffic congestion as seasonal residents and visitors shelter in their northern homes. It also brings muggy mornings, 90-degree days and torrential downpours during afternoon thunderstorms.

Although those rain showers bring a slight break from the heat while recharging our groundwater, replenishing our waterways and rejuvenating our landscaping, they can also introduce contaminants that negatively impact our wildlife and ecosystem.

Heavy rainfall, when combined with improper fertilizer application, can result in runoff that sends nutrients, meant to make lawns look beautiful, into our waterways. Nutrients from fertilizer end up feeding vegetation in canals, estuaries, drainage conveyances, ponds and the Gulf of Mexico. Too much plant growth in places that are meant to control flooding and runoff, such as drainage systems, prevent them from doing their job. Excess nutrients can also overfeed algae and contribute to harmful algal blooms like red tide in the Gulf, red drift algae that washes ashore on local beaches, and blue-green algae in freshwater that can make people and animals sick.

There are many contributing factors to water quality issues in Southwest Florida, but homeowners can play a role in keeping our ecosystem in check by simply following the local fertilizer ordinance. Lee County Ordinance No. 0808 is in effect from June 1 to Sept. 30, prohibiting the use of fertilizers containing phosphorus or nitrogen in unincorporated Lee County. Back in 2008, the Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to adopt the fertilizer ordinance to help combat environmental problems throughout our area, including multiple bodies of water that were deemed “impaired” due to an abundance of nutrients in the water.

Clean water is vital for fish and wildlife, including sea turtles that nest during the summer. It’s vital for plants, including mangroves and sea grasses, that protect our coastline. It’s also vital for our economy – we want our tourists to enjoy beautiful beaches, participate in water-based recreational activities, fish in healthy waters, and eat locally-caught fish at our restaurants.

This chain reaction begins in our own backyards. We can work together by working less when it comes to fertilizer this summer, and we can reap the benefits of better water quality year-round.

These safe fertilization practices should be followed year-round:

¦ Sweep up fertilizer spills immediately.

¦ Avoid fertilizing near hard surfaces or waterways.

¦ Don’t fertilize if rain is in the forecast.

More Information

For more information about Lee County’s ordinance, visit fertilizesmart.com/ . ¦

The post Protect Lee County’s water quality and follow the fertilizer ordinance first appeared on Fort Myers Florida Weekly .