Ewww.I was browsing the St. John's Riverkeeper website which led to browsing the web for photos of past algae blooms. My daughter summed it up nicely: "It looks kinda cool... in that horror-movie creepy sorta way."
Welcome to Jacksonville. Let me introduce you to our "horror-movie creepy" river.
*sigh*
"Algae blooms are caused by too many nutrients. One source of nutrients is
the fertilizers that enter our river through storm drains and from runoff.
Algae blooms, pesticides and herbicides can harm us and our river." -- St.
Johns Riverkeeper
So, what can we do? Today? Right now? Here's a list (taken directly from the wonderful resources at St. John's Riverkeeper):
- Slow it down: Use only slow-release, low-phosphorous fertilizers, or have your lawn service do so. Use organic fertilizers, if possible. Avoid fertilizers that contain chemical weed killers. Remember, less is best. Use no more than necessary. And always try to avoid applying fertilizers before a heavy rain.
- Twice is nice: Make your grass stronger by watering no more than twice a week, and only if necessary. Water early in the morning and adjust sprinklers to only water your grass, not streets and driveways.
- Put it to bed: Create beds with low-maintenance plants next to streets, driveways and waterways to help prevent runoff and reduce lawn size. Consider using native plants. Use an organic mulch (not cypress) around plants to retain moisture and slow runoff.
- The drain is for the rain: Never sweep clippings or debris down the storm drain. Drains eventually lead to the river. Mow high and keep your blade sharp. Never cut off more than one third of the grass blade. This will result in a healthier lawn and cut down on the amount of fertilizers and water you need to use.
Once you've done those (and instilled those practices as habit with you and your family), consider becoming a member of St. John's Riverkeeper. They need your $$ to continue their work.
5 comments:
Xeriscape, xeriscape, seriscape.
Some of the most spectacular home land and hardscapes in the world are no-irrigation and/or no-fertilization based. The key is understanding plants and where to purchase appropriately rasied specimens.
Some of the most beautifully landscaped lawns in Florida I've seen are xeriscaped based, tropical looking, low-maintenance and require little of no fertilization.
Kevin,
Is it possible to xeriscape and still remain in line with so many suburban homeowner's associations?
I think many of us are afraid to make changes out of fear of our HOA's coming down on us.
It's rough in the 'burbs! Any suggestions would be appreciated by all.
Ellen:
Absolutely! Lawns are a blank canvas for green productivity. I've had great success in creating formal lawnscapes using native species under extremely harsh conditions, meeting very formal HOA landscape requirements. The first step is to begin thinking outside the box. Think of designing your lawn in the same manner you would purchase your dream car. I know most would not be satisfied with the cheaply made XXX brand sedan - most would rather have a lexus. Same way with yards!
Dump the brand XXX sedan-like sod, add hardscape, water features, living walls, tropicals, pervious walkways, and xericplants such as roses, ever-green vines, succulents, and native grasses - create your own oasis! Recycle rainwater, compost your kitchen scraps rather than use spray-on fertilizer's.
I will be submitting a photo-essay of some of the most beautiful non-irrrigated, non-fertilized landscapes we seen through to success over the next couple days.
Just do it! The St. John's needs your care....
Ellen,
Thanks for mentioning the "river friendly yards" information on our website. Unfortunately, monoculture lawns of st. augustine grass have become a part of our culture, and homebuilders love it because sod is the cheapest and easiest way for them to landscape.
I agree with Kevin that a yard landscaped with native or low-maintenance plants is so much more appealing, interesting, and environmentally-responsible and can blend in with your neighborhood. There are extreme cases where HOA's require grass and a certain shade of green (read Cynthia Barnett's new book, "Mirage"), but hopefully that will change as people become more and more aware of the impact of fertilizers and over-watering of lawns.
By the way, we are always looking to partner with folks who want to promote river-friendly yard practices.
Keep up the good work, Neil!
Growing up in Hialeah, I watched the Miami River turn from a crystal clear gem - where we'd swim and you could see the shell-cracker twenty feet down - into a muddy mess.
We are reaching a critical mass with the St. Johns. We must act now.
One thing we can all do is to solicit the St. Johns River Water Management District to encourage use of pervious pavement. Right now the District refuses to acknowledge the benefit of pervious pavement during permitting because they believe in general that pervious pavement does not work....
Another step we can take is to encourage the District to promote littoral shelves and native wetlands creations and plantings in stormwater ponds. I hear the continual diatribe - "You do not want to create plantings and habitat in stormwater ponds because the plantings will attract migratory birds and wildlife to polluted ponds." Guess what.... these same birds and wildlife are attracted to stormwater ponds anyway.
I travel across the state and constantly see barren stormwater or floodplain comp ponds full of wood storks and other wildlife. It would be so much better if the District would require habitat creation in these ponds - which would help clean the runoff and collected water even more before it reached our St. Johns.
Speak up - speak out - go green!
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