Non-agricultural regional fertilizer

application

Tampa Bay Region Model Ordinance

Non-agricultural regional fertilizer

application

Tampa Bay Region Model Ordinance

Holly Greening Executive Director

Tampa Bay Estuary Program

Hillsborough County’s Regional Leadership in Water Quality Improvement

• 32 public and private partners

• Collaborative approach to meeting regulatory water quality goals for Tampa Bay

• Consortium participants agreed to limits on nitrogen loads in Sept. 2009

• Hillsborough County BOCC approval in Nov 2009- first County to sign

The Good News

• Seagrass coverage increased 6,000 acres since 1980s

• Water quality meeting regulatory targets in all major bay segments for 3 consecutive years

• The County’s approval of the Consortium action ensures continued compliance and progress

Algae bloom off western Hillsborough County, Summer 2009

Nitrogen-fueled issues still occur

REGULATORY REQUIREMENT: Nutrient impaired waters will require nutrient load reductions from

sources in the watershed

The Challenge Ahead

• To meet Federal and State regulatory requirements for Tampa Bay, new or expanded nitrogen sources will have to show offsets to be permitted.

• To meet regulatory requirements for lake and stream nutrient impairments in the watershed, sources will also need to reduce nutrient loads from existing levels.

• All cities and counties in the Tampa Bay watershed have similar impairments and challenges.

TBEP Policy Board

Development of Regional Non-agricultural Fertilizer Application

Model Ordinance

• At the request of the TBEP Policy Board, staff facilitated four workshops in 2008

• Involved 42 private and public sector organizations (lawn care, environmental groups, IFAS, local governments, water quality scientists)

• Consensus-based approach

Issues Addressed

• Timing (restricted period)*Timing (restricted period)*• Buffer ZonesBuffer Zones• Licensing of Lawn Care ProfessionalsLicensing of Lawn Care Professionals• Regional Certification/Decal ProgramRegional Certification/Decal Program• Reclaimed WaterReclaimed Water• EducationEducation • Point of Sale restriction (added by PB)

* Only issue for which consensus was not reached in Stakeholder Workshops

Key Technical Findings: Rainfall and Runoff

• Rainfall patterns vary around Florida, due to sea-breeze and other factors

• FDEP-sponsored study of stormwater runoff (Harper & Baker 2007) found significantly higher runoff volumes for rain events when soils are saturated, even from vegetated landscapes.

• The frequency of significant runoff events is substantially higher in the summer rainy season as compared to other seasons in the Tampa Bay area.

From: Hochmuth et al, 2009. IFAS SL 283.

Rainfall patterns differ across the state

West-central and SW Florida rainfall patterns

Defining Runoff Events in Florida

• Harper & Baker (2007) for FDEP – “Evaluation of Current Stormwater Design Criteria within the State of Florida”– “…the soil moisture condition at the time of

the rain event can have a significant impact on the runoff volume generated from pervious areas”

– Antecedent Soil Moisture Condition 3 (AMC 3): Rainfall > 2.1 inches in warm months, or >1.1 inches in other months have occurred within the past 5 days; soils are saturated

– AMC 3 = Runoff likely even from vegetated areas

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12Month

% o

f D

ays

at A

MC

Co

nd

itio

n 3

Plant City Rainfall Gage Proposed Rainy Season Period

Frequency of AMC3 (high runoff) Conditions

Mean = 8.8%

Mean = 20.6%

Cooler temperatures

Key Technical Findings: Recent Nutrient Source Information

• Safety Harbor sediment study (Peebles et al. 2009: USF College of Marine Science):– Organic-rich sediments ( “muck”)

accumulating more rapidly in recent years;

– Muck is primarily the remains of microscopic algae and small shrimp-like organisms (micro-crustaceans) living in the water column in Safety Harbor;

– Source of nutrients for these organisms and muck has changed over time.

Includes Hillsborough County drainage

Multiple lines of evidence

Sediment Cores: track changes through time

Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis: provides a means of “fingerprinting” N source types

Results show changes in N sources in accumulated organic sediments through time

1900s- N sources signature consistent with natural sources and exchange with the Gulf

1940s- N sources signature consistent with livestock waste and/or sewage

Recent years- N sources dominated by signature consistent with inorganic residential fertilizer

Results indicate significant shift of N sources over time

Education is a critical component

• TBEP Policy Board allocated $75,000 in Tampa Bay license tag funds for a regional fertilizer education campaign – TBEP has received matching grant funds to double money; steering committee established and convened in January

Objective #1: Assess Media and Messages Most Likely To Reach and Impact Residents’ Use of

FertilizerObjective #2: Assess Consumer

Knowledge of Fertilizer and Attitudes

about Lawn Care

First Project: Homeowner Focus Groups

Focus Group Perceptions

• Lush lawns require frequent fertilizing Lush lawns require frequent fertilizing (every 2 weeks to 6x per year)(every 2 weeks to 6x per year)

• Must fertilize Must fertilize more more frequently in rainy frequently in rainy season (“it runs off too quickly”)season (“it runs off too quickly”)

• Information on fertilizing comes from Information on fertilizing comes from the bag, neighbors or lawn care the bag, neighbors or lawn care companycompany

• Few are aware of lawn runoff and Few are aware of lawn runoff and where it goeswhere it goes

• Prefer messages that provide clear, Prefer messages that provide clear, simple instructionssimple instructions

Summary

• Nitrogen reductions will be necessary to meet regulatory water quality requirements.

• Tampa Bay summer rainfall patterns show a high likelihood for runoff, including from vegetated lands.

• Nitrogen removal, once in surface waters, can be very costly.

Summary

• A residential fertilizer summer restricted period appears to be a cost-effective option for consideration.

• Enforcement may be simplified by including a point of sale restriction.

• Regional consistency will enhance education and certification.

Potential Benefits of Summer Application and Retail Sale

Restriction (TBEP Policy Board)

• Springboard to successful education and enforcement

• Cost-effective method to improve compliance (built-in compliance with retail sale restriction)

• Regional consistency important for lawn care industry

• Simple, clear message for effective education

• Managing nitrogen at the source more cost effective than removal from waterways