For the TMDL to be successful, all the states in the Bay watershed will
need to limit discharges of nitrogen and phosphorous, two nutrient
chemicals contained in fertilizers used to increase plant growth.
Overuse of fertilizers results in excessive nutrient
discharges ("nutrient loading") into the Bay and its tributaries,
resulting in runaway growth of plants like algae and Hydrilla. When
these plants die, they consume all the dissolved oxygen in the water,
creating dead zones that kill fish and other aquatic
organisms.
Now, here is something that may surprise you. The largest crop
grown in the Chesapeake Bay watershed is not corn or soybeans. It is the
grass that you have in your front yard. When we add up all the lawns,
golf courses, ball fields, parks and median
strips in the watershed, grass is our biggest crop. In Virginia, more
land grows grass than corn and soybeans combined.
Many homeowners overuse fertilizers. Established lawns do not need
phosphorus fertilizer, and some well-intentioned homeowners apply more
nitrogen fertilizer than their lawns can actually use, thinking that
�more is better.� Unfortunately, the excess nutrients
applied to lawns inevitably washes into local streams. Once there, it
is expensive to remove them. A two-acre fertilized lawn can discharge a
pound of phosphorous. Removal of that amount from the water can cost
more than $30,000.
Virginia Senator Richard Stuart and Delegate R. Lee Ware have introduced
bills in the General Assembly that would put common sense limits on the
sale and use of phosphorous and nitrogen-based fertilizers.
Senate Bill 1055 and
House Bill 2463 would adopt the most cost-effective approach to
reducing excess fertilizer from urban and suburban areas of the Bay
watershed. You can read these bills by following the links above. Review
the attached fact sheets to learn more.
We need your help in passing SB 1055 and HB 2463. Call or write your
State Senator and Delegate and ask them to support these bills.
Follow this link to look up the names of your representatives. Use
the phone numbers shown to call your Senator and Delegate, or click on
the button below the address information that says "Send a message to
your Delegate and Senator."
When you click on the "Send a Message" button, a form will appear that
you can use to send messages to your representatives. Complete the form,
then write a message, or paste the sample message below into the box,
and customize it to make it personal from you.
Then click the button that says "Send your Message."
Thanks for doing your part to make Virginia a better place to paddle!
--- Sample Email Text ---
Subject: Stop Excess Lawn Fertilizer from Polluting the Bay
I am a ________ (canoeist / kayaker) who lives in your district
and paddles the rivers and streams of Virginia. I believe that
Virginians and their elected representatives must do their part to
protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay. Right now, the way to
do that is to implement the Chesapeake Bay TMDL.
One of the biggest problems facing the Bay is excessive discharges of
phosphorous and nitrogen-based fertilizers. Heavy nutrient discharges
from urban and suburban runoff are creating dead zones in the Bay and
its larger tributaries. The primary source of these
excessive discharges is the misuse of lawn fertilizer.
Senator Richard Stuart and Delegate R. Lee Ware have introduced bills in
the General Assembly that would put common sense limits on the sale and
use of phosphorous and nitrogen-based fertilizers. Senate Bill 1055 and
House Bill 2463 would adopt the most cost-effective
approach to reducing excess nutrients from urban and suburban areas of
the Bay watershed. These limits would be significant step towards
fulfilling Virginia's commitment to restore the Bay.