This past fall, Hamburg Township made a powerful decision to help the Huron River, streams, creeks, lakes, and wetlands by passing an ordinance putting stringent restrictions on the use of fertilizers. Firstly, Hamburg Township has prohibited fertilizer application of any sort from November 16 through April 30. Secondly, Hamburg Township has banned fertilizer use within 50 feet of wetlands or “watercourses” (lakes and streams) during any part of the year. Any person who violates the ordinance shall be responsible for a municipal civil infraction.
The need for an ordinance
Dave Wilutis, a board member of the Portage-Base Line-Whitewood Owners Association, is the water champion who recognized the nutrient problem on the Chain of Lakes region in Hamburg Township and brought the ordinance request to supervisor Pat Hohl. “Our lakes are experiencing a buildup of nutrients,” reports Mr. Wilutis. “Rain, frozen turf and improper spreading of fertilizers allow nutrients direct access to our lakes and rivers, and in recent years toxic algae blooms have appeared on Base Line and Portage Lakes. Education has become the key ingredient to help lake owners understand that improper use of fertilizers has a direct negative impact on our lakes. Having a local ordinance supporting restrictive use will help provide the strength behind a good cause.” Mr. Wilutis is working with other townships in the Huron River Chain of Lakes region in adopting similar ordinances.
Nutrient pollution in water bodies is a significant environmental issue caused by excessive amounts of nutrients entering aquatic ecosystems. A primary and completely avoidable source is fertilizers carrying nitrogen and phosphorus. Nutrients support increased fish and wildlife populations by building up algae populations at the bottom of the food chain, but excessive growth leads to harmful algal blooms. These blooms block sunlight from reaching submerged plants and release toxins harmful to aquatic life. When the algae die and decompose, they deplete oxygen levels, leading to dead zones where aquatic life cannot survive. Nutrient pollution harms industries such as fishing, tourism, and recreation, leading to economic losses for communities dependent on healthy aquatic ecosystems.
On the Huron River, Ford and Belleville Lakes are among the water bodies most directly affected by excessive phosphorus. In fact, both lakes are considered “impaired” by the Michigan Department of Environment, Energy, and Great Lakes (EGLE) due to phosphorus pollution. The lakes undergo regular algae blooms, especially in late summer and early fall when the water is at its warmest and conditions are ripe for cyanobacteria. The local governments directly upriver of these lakes have legal obligations to meet in keeping their phosphorus output below a level set by the State.
Landscaping for lake health
There are good alternatives to a typical suburban lawn that is fed with fertilizer. In their ordinance, Hamburg Township “recommends a natural vegetative buffer strip with native grasses, wildflowers, and shrubs instead of turf grass.” Dr. Amber Bismack, HRWC Board member and Hamburg Township Representative, says, “Our township is doing its part, as everyone needs to, in protecting the plants, animals, and humans of our watershed.” HRWC enthusiastically agrees with this approach.
On the Chain of Lakes, there is a slow cultural shift occurring where more and more people are using native plants and moving away from a fertilized lawn leading to a water’s edge. The photo at right is of a beautiful and functional 750-square foot buffer strip installed by homeowners Jan and Octavian Prudeneanu on the edge of Base Line Lake. This carefully planned vegetative buffer adds to the aesthetic value of their property while simultaneously protecting water quality.
If you live on a lake or along the river, another alternative is to pump the nutrient-rich water from the waterbody and use that to water and fertilize your grass. Any excess will go right back into the water, leaving it no worse off than before.
Less is more
Whether you live in Hamburg Township or elsewhere, we all can stop using lawn fertilizers entirely or at least reduce our use as much as possible. While nutrient pollution may not affect you in obvious ways, the ecosystem of the Huron River and our human neighbors who live near receiving waters like the Chain of Lakes, Ford, or Belleville Lake, are very much impacted by a cultural preference for large expanses of very green grass. It’s time to make a change!
—Paul Steen
This blog post has also been published in the Huron River Report, Summer 2024.