Clean Up Tampa Bay the Easy Way: Stop Fertilizer Run-Off, & Stop Red Tide

The campaign to make the Tampa Bay region’s waterways cleaner and healthier without raising taxes is underway. The Sierra Club Red Tide Campaign is building community coalitions to support passing fertilizer management ordinances by all local governments in Hillsborough and Pinellas County.

For these ordinances to have a meaningful effect in the long term we must approach non-point source pollution in a regional way and so after fighting for and winning strong fertilizer management ordinances in Sarasota, Lee and Collier Counties we are now focused on the Tampa Bay region.

If only half of Tampa Bay’s residents were to comply, we would still reduce nitrogen pollution of Tampa Bay by 84 tons, an achievement that would otherwise cost millions in new tax dollars for construction of pollution control infrastructure. Tampa Bay’s estuary, rivers and lakes will all become cleaner & clearer. We will reduce the likelihood of fish kills from harmful algae blooms that feed on nitrogen and phosphorus run-off, as well as dangerously toxic Karenia brevis, the dread Red Tide that creates dead zones and drives tourism dollars from our beaches.

We are promoting a fertilizer ordinance that includes these provisions:

• Ban phosphorus fertilizer application throughout the year (unless a soil or tissue test demonstrates a phosphorous deficiency).

• Prohibition of application of any nitrogen fertilizer during the rainy months of June – September.

• Limit of 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 s.f. per year.

• Required 50% slow-release nitrogen content.

• 10 foot fertilizer-free zone from the top of the bank of any surface water.

• 6 foot low-maintenance zone in which Florida friendly and native plants may be planted.

• Required deflector shields on all broadcast spreaders.

• Mandatory training of all landscapers in best management practices.

This approach to reducing taxes and cleaning impaired waters works because it relies on personal responsibility to prevent pollution at its source. St. Petersburg passed Florida's strongest ordinance two months ago on March 19th, doing all of the above + banning the sale of nitrogen & phosphrous in the rainy season.

If you are interested in getting involved with this campaign contact Phil Compton at phil.compton@sierraclub.org, or come to the Coastal Task Force meeting at The Garden, Wed. 5-27 @ 7 pm.