FloridaRed Tide

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:

It only covers the unincorporated parts of the county. While some of the cities and towns of Lee County have ordinances about fertilizer use that are aimed at reducing red tide, most don’t.

” . . . containing nitrogen or phosphorus . . .” I guess they don’t any fertilizer will fertilize a red tide bloom.

“June through September” I guess they also don’t realize that ferilizers put on the grass at any time end up in the waterways and bays. If there’s a drought, like now, then it just builds up and builds up until a few heavy rains wash it into the bay.
This is Florida. Plants grow like mad. There’s no need for fertilizers, ever (unless your a farmer, we’ll get to that in a minute). The only things lawns need in Florida to be green and lush are water, sunlight (not under a tree) and perhaps some herbicide. Not that I recommend that, it’s better to just deal with the weeds, Florida weeds are called ornamental plants in other parts of the country and people actually pay for them.

” . . . Professional landscapers are required to register with the county and have at least one employee certified . . .” What! Again no fertilizers are needed. why would you make small businesses pay money to a university to have the university tell them that, or worse, that it’s ok to use fertilizers, as they are likely to do as they receive funds from the fertilizer industry and politicians who are supported by the fertilizer industry. Better to just say no to fertilizers.

Now about those farmers.

This is where red tide get tricky. America and the world needs food. Fertilizers help increase the yield of farm land. Sadly, fertilizer causes red tide. Most of Lee County’s problems with red tide are caused far up river from them. The farm land immediately south of Lake O is dumping tons of fertilizers on their lands per acre. This is the largest contributor to their red tide problem. Home owners and local governments who feel that they desperately need unnaturally green grassy area and are will to poison the earth and take water from the mouths of the people are certainly big contributors. But more so are the farms upstream on the peace river and the river of grass.

None the less, we applaud this first step by Lee county to help red tide.
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