source and concentrations of surface water nutrients from ......residential waterfront homes in...

SOURCE AND CONCENTRATIONS OF SURFACE WATER NUTRIENTS FROM RESIDENTIAL WATERFRONT HOMES IN BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

Lisa Krimsky, Holly Abeels, Mary Lusk &

Linda Seals

INDIAN RIVER LAGOON

The Indian River Lagoon extends 156 miles from Volusia County to Jupiter Inlet

5 counties, 3 lagoons Mosquito Lagoon Banana River Indian River

The Indian River Lagoon is (was) North America’s most diverse estuary

INDIAN RIVER LAGOON ECONOMIC VALUATION $8.6 BILLION

INDUSTRY GROUP AMOUNT (millions)

PERCENT

Living Resources $48.2 1Marine Industries $767.4 9Recreation and Visitor-related

$1,574 18

Resource Management $101.4 1Defense & Aerospace $5,149 60Real estate $934 11Total $8,574 100%

Source: Indian River Lagoon Economic Valuation Update 2016

INDIAN RIVER LAGOONHARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS

Source: SJRWMD

Source: Martin County

Brown tide pelagophyte–Aureoumbra lagunensis

Diatom –Pseudo-nitzxchiacalliantha

Dinoflagellates –Pyrodinium bahamense

Cyanobacteria –Microcystis aeruginosa

INDIAN RIVER LAGOONNUTRIENT IMPAIRMENT SEAGRASS DECLINES

Source: SJRWMD

Presenter

Presentation Notes

DEP verified the IRL Basin as impaired because of excessive amounts of TN and TP, as evidenced by a decrease in seagrass distribution and by low DO. In March 2009, DEP adopted the nutrient and DO IRL Basin TMDLs, with a focus on the water quality conditions necessary for seagrass regrowth at the depth limits where seagrass historically grew in the basin, based on a multiyear composite of seagrass coverage.

Source: SJRWMD

SOURCES OF NUTRIENTSBREVARD COUNTY

12%

17%

18%

2%

51%

TN Loading by Source

Stormwater Runoff Baseflow/Septic SystemsAtmospheric Deposition Point SourcesMuck Flux

33%

34%

4%1%

28%

TP Loading by Source

Stormwater Runoff Baseflow/Septic SystemsAtmospheric Deposition Point SourcesMuck Flux

Adapted from: SOIRLPP, 2019

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Excessive nutrient loading to Florida’s surface and ground waters is one of the biggest water quality issues facing our state. It is far easier and much less expensive to minimize the amount of nutrients that get into our waters than it is to treat stormwater and other nonpoint sources of pollution to remove nutrients. A major source of nutrient loading is from fertilizers applied to urban landscaping.

SOURCE CONTROL REDUCTION EFFORTS

Presenter

Presentation Notes

We have science based bmps that we promote through programs like the FFL program but the human factor is hard to predict. We can’t yet align these programs with nutrient reductions

SOURCE CONTROL REDUCTION EFFORTS

Universal (nearly) Fertilizer Ordinances• Rainy season ban for nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer

• No phosphorus allowed without a soil test that indicates need

• Use only fertilizer with total nitrogen content of at least 50% slow release

• Fertilizer free zone, at a minimum, within 10 feet of all bodies of water, no exceptions

• Sets maximum yearly limits by grass types and application rates for fertilizer use on lawns

• Prohibits fertilizer use on new turf for 30 days

• Prohibits leaving grass clippings and fertilizer on any impervious surface (concrete)

• Prohibits fertilizing on days when a heavy rain is expected, if the ground is water saturated or during a flood watch, tropical storm, or hurricane watch or warning

• Establishes a voluntary low maintenance zone within 10' of all water bodies

• Exempts bona fide farm operations

• Requires professionals and institutional applicators to have training

• Establishes penalties for non compliance

Presenter

Presentation Notes

If homeowners and HOAs are going to make substantial changes to their landscapes and practices that are perceived to impact their landscapes, they want to know that their changes will have substantial and definitive impacts. This is currently what’s missing from our educational programs. Conversely, local governments are implementing nutrient reduction measures but there is currently very little information regarding the efficacy of these measures. Whether they work, whether they are being implemented, and to what extent they are achieving lb reductions in nutrient inputs.

RESEARCH GOAL

Enhance the understanding of source and concentrationof nutrient loading from waterfront residential

landscapes

TORTOISE ISLAND, SATELLITE BEACH

PROJECT DESIGNWATER COLLECTION DEVICES

PROJECT DESIGNLANDSCAPE COMPARISON

Comparison of Conventional (n=5) and Florida-Friendly (FFL) (n=5) residencesSurface and subsurface runoff• Nutrient concentration and formsSoil analysis• Nutrients in the soil

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Five turf and five FFL homes will be chosen as site locations for 13-18 total sampling periods to allow for comparison of nutrient runoff from different landscape designs. Project design is contingent upon engagement and participation in the sampling program. The concentrations and forms of nutrients in runoff, e.g., inorganic (NO3 + NH3) versus organic (DON) nitrogen. While we may not see differences in TN, variations in nitrogen form may have different bioavailability to algal bloom species.

PROJECT DESIGNSOURCE DETERMINATION

www.willmarmn.gov

Analysis of:• nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O)

isotopes of nitrate (ẟ18O–NO3 and ẟ15N-̶ NO3)

Potential sources:• Fertilizers• Atmospheric deposition• Organic materials

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Analysis for nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) isotopes of nitrate (ẟ18O–NO3 and ẟ15N-̶ NO3) may allow for nutrient source determinations. (e.g. fertilizers, atmospheric deposition, and/or organic materials) of nutrient pollutants The nitrogen cycle is microbially mediated. Microbes will always favor isotopically lighter atoms and certain nitrification processes will give us different isotopic signatures. By comparing what we have in our NO3, we can compare that with well confirmed values in the literature.

PROJECT DESIGNSEASONAL COMPARISON

Comparison of:• Wet season (10-12

samples)/dry season (3-6 samples) nutrient concentration

• Determine the effectiveness of the fertilizer ordinance blackout period

June 1 – September 30October 1 – May 31

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Determine the effectiveness of the Brevard County fertilizer ordinance blackout period

QUESTION 1: COMPARE NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS IN RUNOFF FROM DIFFERING LANDSCAPE DESIGNS

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

FFL Conventional

mg/

l

Landscape Type

NO3

OrthoP

Average of NH4NH4

0.89p = .07 0.471

p = .07

1.401p = .45

2.02p = .45

3.382p = .11

9.509p = .11

QUESTION 1: COMPARE NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS IN RUNOFF FROM DIFFERING LANDSCAPE DESIGNS

0

5

10

15

20

25

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

mg/

l

Lawns

NH4

00.20.40.60.8

11.21.41.61.8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Lawns

NO3

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Lawns

OrthoP

QUESTION 2: EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF THE FERTILIZER ORDINANCE BLACKOUT

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Dry season Wet Season

mg/

l

NO3

OrthoP

Average of NH4NH4

0.995p = .15

0.566p = .15

1.159p = .19

1.925p = .19

2.35p = .03*

7.83p = .03*

QUESTION 3: COMPARE THE N ISOTOPIC SIGNATURE TO THAT OF KNOWN N SOURCES IN SURFACE WATERS

ƌ15N-NO3

ƌ18O

-NO

3

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Substantial variation in nutrient concentration by yard, substantiates the need to look at source of nutrients via isotopic analysis. For example, nutrients in yard 4 can be explained by high frequency and concentration from pet waste. However, the isotope data can’t tell us anything about P sources (what’s going on with Yard 5). P is almost always soil- or organic matter (sewage, septic, manure)-derived. So they must have incredibly high P in their soil or they’re sneaking in some kind of P fertilizer (most commercial turf fertilizers in FL shouldn’t have P). Or they have leaky sewage pipes. we’ve taken some soil samples to try to see if that lawn has unusually high soil P. Stay tuned…..

SUMMARY

• Not all yards (homeowners) are created equal• Sources of N are highly variable and cannot be

attributed solely to landscape sources• Pet waste large contributor • Soil nutrient pools may mask any immediate

benefits of fertilizer ordinance• Nutrient management must consider all sources of

nutrients

Presenter

Presentation Notes

However, the isotope data can’t tell us anything about P sources (what’s going on with Yard 5). P is almost always soil- or organic matter (sewage, septic, manure)-derived. So they must have incredibly high P in their soil or they’re sneaking in some kind of P fertilizer (most commercial turf fertilizers in FL shouldn’t have P). Or they have leaky sewage pipes.

IMPACT

MAKE INFORMED RECOMMENDATIONS TO COMMUNITIES TO PROTECT WATER QUALITY & REDUCE NUTRIENT INPUTS FROM RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPES

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=dog+scooping&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=yD-Kwz5pcKINNM&tbnid=ca3CglLGtm9WhM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.city-dog.co.uk/blog/cleaning-up/if-i-could-train-dogs-to-do-this-id-be-a-millionaire/&ei=AWXcUdTgGImI9AS__YDIDg&bvm=bv.48705608,d.eWU&psig=AFQjCNFV3StGZJXwFWyTkj43BJWhCHq3bg&ust=1373484671035328

THANK YOU

Lisa KrimskyWater Resources Regional Specialized AgentUniversity of Florida [email protected]

Special thanks to:

Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Preserve

City of Satellite Beach

Tortoise Island Residents

MG volunteers

source and concentrations of surface water nutrients from ......residential waterfront homes in...

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