As we welcome the return of warm weather, many of us are turning to lawn maintenance. Did you know that what you do on your lawn can impact the rest of the watershed? Chemical fertilizers and pesticides ultimately make their way into the streams through stormwater runoff, and they build up in Onondaga Lake.
Phosphorous, a nutrient found in lawn fertilizer, causes serious problems when it builds up to high concentrations in waterways. Today there are over 70 waterbodies in New York State that are suffering from phosphorous pollution. High levels of phosphorous cause algae blooms that damage water quality and lower the amount of dissolved oxygen available to fish and other aquatic organisms. Phosphorous pollution also negatively affects drinking water supplies, local recreation, and tourism. It is expensive to remove phosphorous from stormwater, so it’s really important to prevent pollution in the first place.
This year, a new state law went into effect to protect our waterways from excessive phosphorous pollution by setting limits on fertilizer use. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), “Under the new provisions of the law, the use of phosphorus fertilizer on lawns or non-agricultural turf is restricted. Only lawn fertilizer with less than 0.67 percent by weight phosphate content may be applied legally. Application of any fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium on lawns or non-agricultural turf is prohibited between December 1 and April 1. Application of any fertilizer on lawns or non-agricultural turf within 20 feet of a water body or on paved surfaces is restricted. Retailers must display phosphorus fertilizer separately from phosphorus-free fertilizer and must post signs notifying customers of the terms of the law.”
For more information about the new law and how you can help protect our watershed from phosphorous pollution, visit the DEC’s website: http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/67239.html
