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 Hillsborough County BOCC approval in Nov 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, 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

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 Fertilizer Objective #2: Assess Consumer Knowledge of Fertilizer and Attitudes about Lawn Care First Project: Homeowner Focus Groups

Focus Group Perceptions Lush lawns require frequent fertilizing (every 2 weeks to 6x per year)Lush lawns require frequent fertilizing (every 2 weeks to 6x per year) Must fertilize more frequently in rainy season (“it runs off too quickly”)Must fertilize more frequently in rainy season (“it runs off too quickly”) Information on fertilizing comes from the bag, neighbors or lawn care companyInformation on fertilizing comes from the bag, neighbors or lawn care company Few are aware of lawn runoff and where it goesFew are aware of lawn runoff and where it goes Prefer messages that provide clear, simple instructionsPrefer messages that provide clear, simple 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