Phosphorus and Lakes
A professor at the University of Wisconsin questions the 2004 bans on phosphorus-based fertilizers in Madison and Dane County and wonders whether they'll actually do much to reduce algae blooms in lakes.
John Stier, an associate professor in UW-Madison's horticulture department, was among the skeptics when the bans in the county were first proposed in 2003, having maintained that lawn runoff was a minor source of phosphorus in the lakes. And he remains a skeptic today.
A study published in the March issue of the Journal of Environmental Quality showed that there was nearly identical phosphorus runoff from turf that was fertilized three times a year as there was from a seeded prairie.
He believes if we are serious about reducing phosphorus buildup in the lakes, we need to focus on the major contributors. We need to stop decimating our wetlands and stop building impervious surfaces right up to the water's edge. Planners need to reconfigure how we build our cities by emphasizing things like green roofs, detention ponds, drainage swales and other infrastructure improvements.
May 1, 2007 6:50 AM | Category: Chemicals