July 31, 2008: Fish kills in Old Tampa Bay: Ben T. Davis and Courtney Campbell
(60) beaches closed
Photo from Bernie Banull in Tampa Tribune.
The same algae bloom also killed marine wildlife at Philippe Park in Safety Harbor.
2009: Largest Algae Outbreak on Record in Tampa Bay Between Safety Harbor and Weedon Island
• Devastating impact on aquatic
life.
• Pinellas County Dept. of
Environmental Management:
"Last year it was just in the
upper part of the bay, from
about Safety Harbor to the
Gandy (Bridge) - an area of a
little over three miles long. Now
it's 14 miles long, covering
about four and a half times the
area."
• Pyrodinium bahamense.Pyrodinium bahamense.
• ““Blooms are triggered Blooms are triggered
by pollutants and other by pollutants and other
excessive amounts of excessive amounts of
nutrients, notably nutrients, notably
phosphates and nitrates phosphates and nitrates
found in fertilizers, found in fertilizers,
which wash into the which wash into the
water.”water.”
Sulphur Springs illustrates the effect of nitrogen runoff
• ““Since the 1970s, Since the 1970s, scientists have scientists have documented documented increasing levels increasing levels of nutrients in of nutrients in surface water. surface water. • • Water quality Water quality has declined in has declined in most springs most springs since the 1970s; since the 1970s; in particular, in particular, levels of nitrate levels of nitrate (a nutrient) have (a nutrient) have increased.”increased.”
• “Freshwater harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasing in frequency, duration, and magnitude and therefore may be a significant threat to surface drinking water resources
and recreational areas.”
“Abundant populations of blue-green algae, some of them potentially toxigenic, have been found statewide in numerous lakes and rivers. In addition, measured concentrations
of cyanotoxins—a few of them of above the suggested guideline levels—have been reported in finished water from some drinking water facilities. “
Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Environmental Assessment And Restoration Bureau of Watershed Management - Integrated
Water Quality Assessment for Florida: 2008 305(b) Report and 303(d) List
Update October 2008: Special State Concerns and Recommendations
Why is more nitrogen running off into waterways?
Use on Residential lawns has tripled in last decade.
Fertilizer Use in Hillsborough County from 1998 to 2007
020000
400006000080000
100000120000
19
98
19
99
20
00
20
01
20
02
20
03
20
04
20
05
20
06
20
07
Year
To
tal F
ert
ilize
r (t
on
s)
Non-Farm
Farm
Since 2007, 13 strong county and municipal-level fertilizer management ordinances have been passed along the Gulf Coast
• St. Petersburg
• Gulfport
• Longboat Key
• Sarasota County
• City of Sarasota
• Venice
• Northport
• Lee County
• Sanibel
• Ft. Myers Beach
• Ft. Myers
• Bonita Springs
• Naples
All Current Gulf Coast Ordinanes, including St. Pete & Pinellas Co. proposal, include these Exemptions
• Bona fide farm operations (including nurseries)
• Golf Courses
• Specialized (sports fields) turf managers
• Vegetable gardens
• Tree trunk injection fertilization done by a certified arborist
• Yard waste compost, mulches or other similar materials that are primarily organic in nature and are applied to improve the physical condition of the soil
• Reclaimed water - recommended that reclaimed/reuse water not allowed to flow or spray into surface water bodies - has a high nitrogen and phosphorus content.
St. Pete led the way in Tampa Bay!• a complete ban on applying nitrogen fertilizer in the
rainy season, June 1-September 30.
• to safely provide a gradual nitrogen release during the rainy season, all fertilizer will contain half of its nitrogen content in slow release form, with an annual limit on nitrogen fertilizer of 4 lbs per square ft.
• requirement for deflector shields on broadcast spreaders to keep fertilizer off sidewalks and driveways,
• elimination of phosphorus from fertilizer except when a deficiency is documented by a soil test, and
• Florida’s first ban on sale of fertilizer during the rainy season when its use will be prohibited.
Pinellas County is now
poised to adopt the same
strong ordinance
standards county-wide
on January 19, 2010.
Each of these ordinances includes a strict rainy season nitrogen and phosphorous application ban.
The reason:
A rainy season ban is the single most
effective way to stop nutrient pollution
from making its way from urban
neighborhoods to our inland and coastal
water bodies.
Why?Because ANY application of nitrogen or phosphorous during the rainy season is subject to being washed away by an afternoon thunderstorm before it can actually feed the turf.
The washed away nutrients are:
1. A waste of the applicator’s time and money.
2. A direct threat to water quality.
What are the alternatives to the strict rainy season ban standard?
2009 FDEP Model Ordinance Language:
“Prohibited Application Period” means the time period during which a Flood Watch or Warning, or a Tropical Storm Watch or Warning, or a Hurricane Watch or Warning is in effect for any portion of (CITY/COUNTY), issued by the National Weather Service, or if heavy rain is likely.
The “if heavy rain is likely” standard substantiates the need for the rainy season ban.
This is because on the central and southwest
gulf coast heavy rainfall can be imminent
every summer afternoon, June – Sept.
A rainy season ban does not preclude
the continued use of turf in our urban landscapes
Turf quality and water quality
can go hand in hand
1. There is zero science that suggests that turf cannot thrive without a nitrogen application for 4 months – in fact, the Sarasota experience shows that it can!
2. IFAS (Sartain 2007) research on the use of a 6-month controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer produced similar turf quality without any rainy season application.
3. Turf receives nitrogen from rainfall and grass clippings during the summer months. The 2006 FYN Handbook states that decomposed grass clippings are a significant source of nitrogen, reducing the need for nitrogen fertilization by up to 50 percent without a decrease in turf grass quality.
So, how do lawns get nitrogen if no fertilizer with nitrogen is applied for 4 months?
• Rain fall from atmospheric deposition
• Lawn clippings
• Reclaimed water can provide significant amounts – amounts vary by system.
• 50% slow release nitrogen fertilizer
What would it cost to clean up our water and prevent our river & bay’s harmful algae blooms
through mechanical & chemical means?
1. Costs are overwhelming:
up to $1,592 per capita*.2. Grossly insufficient amount of state
and/or federal assistance available.
3. Infinitely more efficient and effective to keep pollutants out of waterbodies than to remove pollutants later.
* According to the Florida Stormwater Association
Again, the Rainy Season Ban is the Backbone of Effective Fertilizer Management
Prohibiting nitrogen and phosphorous
application during the rainy season is the only
pragmatic way to effectively reduce the amount
of urban fertilizers in Tampa Bay stormwater.
The Sierra Club, and the 90 Tampa Bay businesses and
organizations we represent today, urge you to make your
ordinance strong enough to actually make a difference in
the quality of our water resources.
We can help clean up all our waterways in
Hillsborough County, without raising taxes!
Education for personal responsibility is the key.
Lower Taxes, Cleaner Water, Better Fishing: A sensible fertilizer ordinance is the way to Fight Harmful Algae Blooms,
#1 killer of manatees during rainy years.
“We’re counting on YOU to help!”
Thank youPhil Compton, Regional Representative
Sierra Club Florida Regional Office111 2nd Ave. NE, Ste. 1001
St. Petersburg, FL 33701727-824-8813, ext. 303