Fertilizer ordinances across Southwest Florida hope to curb nutrient pollution, stop algae blooms
Karl Schneider and Patrick Riley, Fort Myers News-Press Published 7:00 a.m. ET June 4, 2020
Rainy season is underway in Southwest Florida and with it comes an effort from local governments to curb excess nutrients in the area’s waters.
Lee and Collier counties, as well as the cities that lay within, have implemented fertilizer ordinances in hopes of curbing harmful algal blooms
and reducing the nutrient pollution in storm water runoff.
The need to reduce nutrients was highlighted in 2018 when Southwest Florida was hit by blue-green algae and red tide at the same time, devastating
wildlife and the local economy. Then governor Rick Scott, now a U.S. senator, declared states of emergency for multiple counties over the outbreaks.
The algae are natural but are fed by nutrients from farms, yards and wastewater from leaky pipes or septic tanks.
On Sanibel, red tide blooms and red drift algae prompted the city to issue its own fertilizer ordinance.
"Poor water quality not only impacts wildlife habitat and the quality of life for island residents, but it can directly impact our local economy by reducing
property values and the overall experience of visitors to our island," said Holly Milbrandt, the city's deputy director of natural resources.
The city adopted its ordinance in 2007 as "part of a multi-pronged effort by the City of Sanibel to reduce nutrient leaching and runoff that lead to algae
blooms and poor water quality," she said.
Milbrandt said the need for community education is a priority, saying one of the goals of the ordinance is "to develop a strong awareness of the connection
between activities in yards, streets, and stormwater systems and natural water bodies among all those who live and work in the City of Sanibel."
The city's fertilizer ordinance says that retail businesses within Sanibel "shall post a notice in a conspicuous location near the fertilizer ..." The signs
help customers understand the fertilizer limitations in place within the city.
Other ordinances around Southwest Florida do not have similar language for retailers, and environmentalists say retailers continue to sell nitrogen-loaded
fertilizer during the ban. Home Depot and Lowe's' corporate offices did not return calls before print deadlines about their practices.
AJ Reisinger, assistant professor of urban soil and water quality at UF/IFAS agrees that education is a top priority regarding fertilizer use.
"We all need to know the causes and consequences of nutrient pollution, and how we can be good stewards of the landscapes even in our backyard," he said.
"Residential fertilizer isn't the only source of nutrient pollution ... but just because residential fertilizer isn't the only source doesn't mean that it's not a source
at all and we shouldn't worry about it."
One goal of Sanibel and other local municipalities' fertilizer ordinances is to reduce leaching and runoff of nutrients from improper or excess fertilization practices
that contribute to nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the city’s water resources.
Southwest Florida's fresh waters don’t naturally have much phosphorus and estuaries don't have much nitrogen, so when they are added it can feed algae blooms,
according to a recent study from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Blooms can damage ecosystems and pose health risks to humans and wildlife.
“There are multiple studies that have been done in Florida as well as in other locations throughout the U.S. and the world that have shown that fertilizer applied
on residential landscapes is a nutrient source to downstream water bodies,” said AJ Reisinger, assistant professor of urban soil and water quality at UF/IFAS.
Even with evidence showing potential ill effects of fertilizers on water quality, scientists are uncertain if bans are effective.
"This is largely because establishing a significant effect of a fertilizer ban on water quality would require long-term, temporally intensive water quality monitoring,
and this research/monitoring hasn't been completed (although we are working on this in my lab and with some collaborators)," Reisinger said.
A plethora of sources can contribute to the degradation of water quality, so even if a fertilizer ban is effective, it may take a while to realize the benefits. There
is no doubt, however, that fertilizer contributes to nutrient pollution in Southwest Florida's waters, he said.
Collier County passed stricter fertilizer rules last summer as part of an effort to improve water quality by reducing nutrient pollution.
Among other things, Collier's ordinance, which covers the unincorporated part of the county, includes a year-round phosphorus ban —
unless a soil test indicates the nutrient is needed.
Unlike other municipalities, the county does not have a so-called rainy season blackout period. Instead, Collier does not allow fertilizer application if the soil
is saturated, before a heavy rainstorm or during a flood/tropical storm watch or warning.
"I think the ordinance is good and is solid in what needs to be done," said Danette Kinaszczuk, the county’s pollution control manager.
Although the county has already been doing "a ton" of outreach, she said, more may be needed. Kinaszczuk said a lot of people that she has talked to
don't know about the phosphorous ban in Collier and think the county has a blackout period.
"We definitely need some more education and outreach," she said.
Collier has a website, called dontoverfeed.com, that spells out the do's and don'ts of the ordinance. Violating the county ordinance is punishable by a fine o
f up to $500, but county officials, Kinaszczuk said, focus on educating residents first and have not seen any repeat offenders yet.
In freshwater bodies, like stormwater ponds, algae don't grow unless phosphorous is present to feed it, Kinaszczuk said. With less phosphorous, she said,
you'd see fewer algae blooms in freshwater, which means people would spray less pesticides. That, in turn, would lead to overall better water quality, including
fewer fish kills, Kinaszczuk said.
Unless expensive tests are done it's hard to pinpoint where the nutrient comes from, she said.
Lee County's fertilizer ordinance includes blackout periods between June 1 and Sept. 30 within unincorporated areas of the county.
The county ordinance says its purpose is to: "meet mandated water quality standards and to minimize the negative environmental effects said fertilizers have
in and on Lee County's lakes, canals, estuaries, interior freshwater wetlands, the Caloosahatchee River and nearshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico."
The City of Cape Coral's ordinance is identical to Lee County's and has been in effect since 2010, city spokeswoman Maureen Buice wrote in an email.
"Basically, we are trying to reduce nutrient runoff into our lakes and canals," said Kraig Hankins, an environmental biologist with the City of Cape Coral.
"Last year, we put out more physical banners and billboards to make people aware of the ordinances."
Cape has had its fertilizer ordinance in place for 10 years, Hankins said, but some residents still call the city after seeing the banners asking why ordinances
are now in place, furthering the evidence that more education on blackout periods and fertilizer use is needed across Southwest Florida.
The city is looking at a few technologies to augment the fertilizer ordinance and help pull out excess nutrients from the water, Hankins said. The city is
planning a study to look at both to determine if they are an effective tool.
Outside of fertilizer use, other solutions are available to help curb nutrient pollution in Southwest Florida waters.
During a February stormwater workshop in Naples, Steve Preston, of Collier County's stormwater management team, lauded the use of residential gardens
that direct rain into areas where plants can absorb excess nutrients.
"I love rain gardens and you never see them," Preston said during the meeting. "The rain comes off the roof, down the driveway into the garden. They're
aesthetically pleasing and work great."
IFAS has outlined nine Florida-Friendly Landscaping principles:
Right Plant, Right Place
Water Efficiently
Fertilize Appropriately
Mulch
Attract Wildlife
Manage Yard Pests
Responsibly Recycle Yard (and kitchen) Waste
Reduce Stormwater Runoff
Protect the Waterfront
Using some residential landscaping practices can help curb nutrient flow into the area's water.
The City of Bonita Springs has turned to a bioreactor to help pull nutrients out of the water before it reaches estuaries and the Gulf. The reactor uses
wood chips to absorb nutrients.
"If we can slow down how quickly water moves downstream by using green infrastructure and low-impact development strategies to manage urban
stormwater runoff, we can increase the natural nutrient removal processes that occur in soils and water bodies,," Reisinger said.
Local blackout dates:
Bonita Springs: June 1 – Sept. 30. Bonita has enacted a blackout period in which the use of fertilizers containing nitrogen or phosphorus is prohibited.
Cape Coral and unincorporated Lee County: Prohibited Application Period is June 1 – Sept. 30. And otherwise during flood watch or warning, tropical
storm watch or warning, hurricane watch or warming or if heavy rain is likely.
Fort Myers Beach: Fertilizers containing nitrogen and/or phosphorus cannot be applied to lawns and/or landscape plants during the rainy season
(June 1 – September 30).
Marco Island: Do not apply fertilizer June 1 - Sept. 30 or when heavy rainfall is expected.
Naples: Do not apply Nitrogen / Phosphorous fertilizer during June 1 – Sept. 30 or when heavy rainfall is expected.
Sanibel: No applicator shall apply fertilizers containing nitrogen and/or phosphorus to turf and/or landscape plants during the "rainy season"
(defined as July 1 through Sept. 30 of each calendar year).
Unincorporated Collier County: No fertilizer application if the soil is saturated, before a heavy rainstorm, or during a flood/tropical storm
watch/warning.