As of June 1 most southwest Floridians are prohibited from applying fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus to their yards. Lee County’s rainy season fertilizer ordinance has been in place since 2008.
Back in the 1990s, as the southwest Florida population grew, it became apparent that local water bodies and waterways were being impacted — and impaired — by nutrient pollution.
So, in the late 2000s several local governments began implementing ordinances that prohibited the application of lawn fertilizer during the rainy season, which generally speaking runs from June first through September or so. Lee County’s ordinance, again, means it is prohibited to apply lawn fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus anywhere in unincorporated Lee County until the beginning of November.
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. Collier county does not have an ordinance, but does provide guidelines for best practices.
Overall, more than 100 cities and counties across the state have passed strong local protections aimed at reducing nutrient pollution from the misapplication of lawn fertilizers - with the goal of reducing the amount of nutrients that wind up in area waters, and therefore reducing the possibility of harmful algae blooms like the severe ones we experienced in 2018 and 2019.
We learn about Lee County’s ordinance, and the importance of complying with these rules to benefit our waters and ecosystems.
Guests:
Lisa Kreiger is an operations manager with Lee County’s Natural Resources Department
Ernesto Lasso de la Vega is the Pond Watch Coordinator with the Lee County Hyacinth Control District
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