Lee County officials are using a public survey of residents to gauge how well the community understands the relationship between fertilizing residential lawns and potential water quality problems.
The survey was issued on Oct. 1, which is the first day each year most household and landscaping fertilizer bans end in Lee County and most other municipalities in Southwest Florida.
“Lee County does this to minimize the negative environmental impact effects of fertilizer runoff entering our waterways and unwanted excess nutrients in the waterways can lead to harmful algal blooms,” Lisa Kreiger, the manager of the county's natural resources department, previously told WGCU. “We all want clean water, and we all want healthy wildlife in our waterways.”
In the late 2000s, several local governments in Southwest Florida began implementing ordinances that banned application of lawn fertilizer during the rainy season.
Lee County’s ordinance was passed in 2008 and prohibits the use of lawn fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus anywhere in unincorporated Lee County by homeowners and professional landscapers from June 1 to Sept. 30.
Most municipalities in Southwest Florida have similar ordinances, including Cape Coral, the city of Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach, and the city of Naples. Charlotte, Sarasota, and Manatee counties have similar rainy season bans.
Other towns in Florida, such as St. Augustine, take into account that fall is the height of hurricane season.
The North Florida town prohibits lawn fertilizing any time of the year when forecasters like those at the National Weather Service issue watches or warnings of floods, tropical systems, or when rainfall totals are forecast to be two inches or more in a 24-hour period.
Chemical fertilizers are composed of nitrogen and phosphorus, which can mix with stormwater runoff that carries the nutrients, meant to feed lawns, into nearby waterways.
Nitrogen and phosphorus are food for red tide and blue-green algae, in a way, because once those toxic algae blooms get started, the professional-grade nutrients can “feed” the blooms and make them grow bigger and last longer than they otherwise might.
“As a Lee County resident, we are reaching out to you to gather insights on your understanding of the effects of fertilization on water quality,” the introduction to the survey says. “Your input is invaluable as it will assist us in improving our communication with the community regarding this critical issue.”
Lee County residents can access the survey here.
Environmental reporting for WGCU is funded in part by VoLo Foundation, a non-profit with a mission to accelerate change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education, and improving health.
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