New Lawn Fertilizer Rules to Help Protect Waterways

Michigan's new restrictions on phosphorus in lawn fertilizer will help protect lakes and streams without sacrificing lush green residential lawns, say backers of the bill.

The measure – passed by the Michigan House and Senate on Dec. 2 – makes it illegal to apply phosphorus fertilizer to residential or commercial lawns in most instances. It also encourages buffer strips of vegetation to protect lakes and streams from phosphorus runoff and other pollutants. It is expected to be signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm and to take effect Jan. 1, 2012.

"These rules help protect our lakes and rivers from being strangled by mats of weeds and nuisance algae blooms – both of which are fueled by the excessive phosphorus that runs off from lawn fertilizers," said Chris Kolb, president of the Michigan Environmental Council.

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for plants, but the majority of Michigan lawns have more than enough in the soil, said Berkley environmental advisory committee chairman Mark Richardson.

Excess phosphorus runs off into storm drains and creeks, where it fuels excessive plant growth in lakes and ponds, he said. That growth can create oxygen-starved "dead zones" where fish and other aquatic creatures cannot survive.

The most infamous Great Lakes "dead zone" occurs in shallow parts of Lake Erie where phosphorus contributes to spots at the bottom of the lake where there is little or no dissolved oxygen. Across Michigan, numerous ponds and small lakes become choked with weeds or algae partially as a result of phosphorus runoff. Recent years have seen algae blooms plaguing Great Lakes beaches from Little Traverse Bay to Saginaw Bay.

Storm water in Berkley and Huntington Woods, for example, drains into the George W. Kuhn Drain located between 12 Mile and 14 Mile in Madison Heights, Richardson said. From there, the water flows into the Red Run Drain at the Oakland/Macomb county line, which empties into a tributary of the Clinton River's main branch, he said.

"A lot of people don't know what happens to the water when it goes down the drain," said Richardson, who also is chairman of the Clinton River Public Advisory Council.

He offered homeowners some tips for maintaining a healthy lawn and protecting our waterways:

• Set the blade on your mower high so you maintain fairly thick grass on your lawn. The longer the grass, the better it is at absorbing storm water.
• Minimize your use of chemical fertilizers.
• Use a mulching mower to grind up clippings and return them to the soil, thereby applying a natural fertilizer.
• Sweep up clippings from the sidewalk and driveway and add them to your compost heap or run them through your mower instead of letting them wash down the drain.
• Reduce the size of your lawn. "I'm not a radical that says everybody's got to get rid of their lawn. But there are ways to reduce the amount of lawn, make it attractive and have to mow less," Richardson said. He suggested replacing some of the lawn with natural plant cover or enlarging flower beds.

"Steps like that are small," Richardson said, "but if we get a lot of people doing them, eventually the benefits add up."

Michigan joins other Great Lakes states including Minnesota, New York, Wisconsin and Illinois in restricting phosphorus fertilizer in some applications. Lawn care industry representatives joined environmental groups in support for Michigan's new rules.

"This was an encouraging example of industry, environmental groups and government working together on common sense solutions, said Jeff Fedorchak, vice president of corporate government affairs for the ServiceMaster Co., which owns the TruGreen lawn care company. "Healthy turf and water quality protection were the big winners in this new law."

Lawn care companies also will find it easier to comply with one state law, rather than a patchwork of local ordinances and regulations, said backers.

"As far as we know, phosphorous has not been used around here in a long time," said Claire Galed of the . "The companies around the tri-county area have removed (it) from their fertilizers."

The measure still will allow homeowners to use phosphorus if their lawns need it. Exceptions are included for lawns that test deficient for phosphorus, agricultural operations, newly established lawns, golf courses and other special circumstances.

Galed could not say whether phosphorous is used to fertilize the grass at golf course in Huntington Woods. A representative for the course was unavailable to comment, as a management contract is awaiting ratification.

But, Galed said she suspects phosphorous is a bigger concern in outstate areas than it is locally.

In one Michigan watershed, local phosphorus restrictions have shown tangible results.

"We know this approach works," stated Elizabeth Riggs with the Huron River Watershed Council. "Our river monitoring data from the Ann Arbor area shows total phosphorus concentrations have dropped by 30 percent, which correlates with local policies to restrict the use of phosphorus fertilizers and educate the public about the issue." Ann Arbor restricted phosphorus use on lawns in 1997.

The measure is the second time the State Legislature targeted phosphorus in recent months. In July 2010 a ban on the nutrient in dishwashing detergent took effect in Michigan. Phosphorus was phased out of laundry detergents in the mid-1990s.

Hugh McDiarmid is the communications director with the Michigan Environmental Council.

Berkley Patch Editor Leslie Ellis contributed to this report.