Fertilizer ban is step in right direction

If state government won't protect groundwater and springs in North Florida, local officials are right to take action to prevent them from being further polluted.

Last week, Alachua County commissioners banned fertilizer from being applied to lawns from July to February. Fertilizer was previously banned for just three winter months.

Commissioners unanimously approved the ordinance, which also requires slow-release fertilizer to be used on lawns in the county from March to June. The measure takes effect Oct. 1, providing time for education efforts.

“The springs are our red tide,” said Commissioner Ken Cornell, referring to the way that groundwater pollution from fertilizer contributes to algae growth in springs.

Red tide blooms along Florida’s coasts and blue-green algae blooms in South Florida’s waterways are getting far more attention from the Legislature this session than springs. State restoration plans for springs don’t go far enough in stopping them from being polluted and their flow reduced, leading to a legal challenge from environmental groups.

Sure, the state has dedicated money to springs protection such as the $518,400 recently approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Cabinet to buy 160 acres in Columbia County. The land includes the route of an underground conduit providing water to Ichetucknee Springs.

But land purchases need to be combined with more aggressive efforts to limit excessive groundwater pumping as well as pollution from septic tanks, sewage systems and fertilizer from residential lawns and agriculture. Protecting groundwater helps keep springs as well as our drinking water source clean.

State lawmakers have been haggling over stricter septic tank laws, trying to prevent a repeat of last summer’s green slime outbreak in South Florida. The issue also deserves more action locally, including connecting Gainesville properties that are still on septic tanks to the municipal sewer system.

Fertilizer and animal waste also add nutrients to groundwater that fuel algae growth. With the state preempting local municipalities from regulating agriculture, the county is right to turn to reducing fertilizer applications on lawns.

Certainly more must be done on the state level as well. The pollution and depletion of the Floridan Aquifer will likely get far worse unless the state adopts smarter policies about growth and the protection of natural resources.

A growing population means greater water conservation is required to prevent environmental damage and ensure there is enough water for people to drink. Florida needs a wholesale effort to shift residential and commercial properties to landscapes that don’t require wasteful watering and fertilizer.

Other states have used "cash for grass" programs that provide financial assistance in converting lawns to drought-resistant plants. The University of Florida should promote the idea that residents should ditch their lawns rather than the interests of the turf-grass industry.

Our state can't keep maintaining the myth that Floridians can have lush green lawns and still protect the environment. Alachua County’s eight-month ban on applying fertilizer to lawns won’t end the pollution of groundwater and springs, but it is a step in the right direction. The rest of Florida should follow suit.