2 major red tide blooms are cause for great concern in along the west coast of Florida.

(more…)

Lacking leadership and legislation from the State of Florida, many townships cities and counties are making their own laws banning or partially banning the use of fertilizer. The latest legislation to be enacted is from Lee county.

Sounds like good news right?

Sure it is. However the fertilizers that the homeowners in coastal communities aren’t as much as their governments put into the water over fertilizing and over watering their medians, parks and the yards of thier public buildings.

Even worse are the farms up river. these farms put Tons per acre of fertilizers on their lands, not even Naples puts that much fertilizers on their medians (although . . .)
these counties where the farms are will never ban or limit fertilizers. however the fertilizers that wash off their lands pollute the communities down river of them. The entire southern half of Florida (except the developed portions) is a river. It’s called “The River of Grass”. It also happens to have a traditional river running through it, The Caloosahatchee river. It’s through these rivers that thousands of tons of fertilizer flows into the Gulf and Bays and feed the red tide.

The state is the only org that can do anything about this. But they are still trying to pretend there’s nothing unusual about our red tides . . .

It looks like Lee County is not only learning how to prevent red tide, but is also learning that all they have to do is try and they’ll make a difference. They’ve recently enacted legislation which while poorly written and still not very effective, will make a difference.

Here’s some of the points the legislation covers:
The new ordinance stipulates that fertilizers containing nitrogen or phosphorus cannot be used during the four-month rainy season of June through September.
Fertilizer application is also prohibited within 10 feet of any body of water, seawall or wetland.
All spreaders must be equipped with a deflector shield to better target application and to prevent errant fertilizer from being spread into water buffer areas and hard impervious surfaces like roads, driveways and sidewalks.
Clippings and trimmings cannot be swept or blown into ditches, drains or any body of water, or onto any road or sidewalk.
Professional landscapers are required to register with the county and have at least one employee certified through a training program offered by the University of Florida Lee County Extension Service.

What’s the poorly written parts:
(more…)