New easy URL - just type  PBWOA.org - PBWOA Annual Meeting was held May 14, 2011 - at the Portage Yacht Club

            
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Fertilizers Clean and Green

(Note: We do NOT endorse the use of any fertilizer within 400 feet of a lake.) 

Based on Dr. Wally Fusilier’s years of experience, no model studies, just real life experience, it boils down to lawn fertilizers. Nitrates are coming from your lawn in to the streams and rivers and lakes and bingo, warm spring days, clear water and nitrates we have WEEDS; lots of weeds.

 So what to do we do? We are not excusing the sewer treatment operations but the game has to start somewhere. It is our responsibility to stop, what Wally says amounts to 80% of the problem, fertilizing our lawns within 400 feet of the water.

 Dr. Fusilier recommends that we get the riparian owners to stop using lawn fertilizers on their property that adjoins the lake. You can use weed killer but not fertilizer within 400 feet of the water’s edge.

 The supposition that; fertilizers with no phosphorous is Ok to use is not correct. They still contain nitrogen. Weeds in the water have all the phosphorus the need right in the lake bottom soil. It is NITROGEN that weeds need.  

Holding back just 20 feet from the shoreline will not help. Wally pointed out that the soil around the lakes is primarily sand and the nitrates percolate down through the soil and into the water just lake our old septic drain fields. Wally said that an eight inch retaining berm, with plants, along the water’s edge is a great help in stopping the run off of natural nutrients in rain water.

Last modified: June 16, 2011