Nutrient Pollution Prevention

• Plant Florida Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL). Challenge yourself to get recognized as FFL.
• Get a soil test before you apply fertilizer. Nitrogen fertilizer may not be needed.
• Use only zero - phosphorus fertilizer in Collier County.

• Use at least 50% slow-release nitrogen fertilizer; it’s required by Collier County Ordinance No. 2019-18(PDF, 219KB) .
• Limit fertilizer application in Spring. Wait until the grass is actively growing.
• Look closely at your fertilizer bag and match it to your lawn size. Don’t apply more nitrogen than allowed(PDF, 160KB) .
• Install the right plant in the right place. Don’t install needy plants near hard surfaces or storm drains.
• Mow your turf grass to the proper height by turf type so it can absorb nutrients.
• Reduce the amount of turf grass in your yard. Native groundcovers require less water and fertilizer.
• Blow grass clippings back into the landscape.
• Recycle fallen leaves, use as mulch or compost.  
• Apply three inches of woody mulch. Avoid shell and stone under plants.

• Water efficiently. Don’t over irrigate.
• Know when to water and understand the Collier County Ordinance No. 2015-27(PDF, 178KB) .

SFWMD Landscape Watering Restrictions

• Regularly check your sprinkler heads. Irrigation should fall on the landscape, not on the concrete.
• Inspect your rain moisture sensor.

• Clean leaves and debris from downspouts and gutters.
• Use rain gardens, rain barrels, or landscape buffers. Keep rainwater in your landscape as long as possible.
• Encourage low-maintenance buffers around waterbodies to collect nutrients from runoff.

• Correct any erosion on your property. Dirt has nutrients too.
• Pick up all the pet waste from your yard.

• Use this model landscape contract when hiring a landscape or lake contractor.
• Hire Green Industry certified landscape professionals.
• Tell every professional that you hire to protect water quality when they are working on your property.

• Ask your HOA to reduce nutrient pollution too.
• Educate the community, Pollution Control provides free education. Call 239-252-2502.

• Write governing documents that protect water resources and incorporate Florida Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) principles.
• Monitor and maintain the community’s private stormwater management system.
  • If you need a copy of the site development plan, contact the Growth Management Records Room at 239-252-5730.
  • You can obtain a copy of your South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Environmental Resource Permit(s) online.
  • Schedule for regular inspection of community stormwater structures such as culverts, pipes, inlets, and flood control structures. Verify that they are not crushed or obstructed. They should be clear of leaves and debris.
• Only rainwater should enter the storm drains. Street inlets are often directly connected to the neighborhood ponds.
  • Have property managers or maintenance professionals correct any erosion on common grounds. Dirt has nutrients too.
  • Create community car wash stations or allow residents wash in their lawn. Notify residents that vehicle wash water is not allowed to enter the street, ponds, or storm drains.
  • Best management practices are required during construction and maintenance activities like pressure washing.
  • Pay attention to common area and single-family home landscaping practices. Ensure that no leaf litter, grass clippings, or irrigation is entering a storm drain.
• Encourage the Landscape and Lake Committees to work together to protect the community from nutrient pollution.
• Educate everyone on how to protect the ponds from pollution.
  • Board members and residents should actively monitor for hazards to water quality, such as grass clippings, pet waste, or construction related pollution.
  • When resident violations cannot be remedied, report pollution. Dial 311 within Collier County or contact Pollution Control directly 239-252- 2502.
  • Use community newsletters and meetings as an opportunity to teach everyone about the importance of water quality. Contact Pollution Control for materials.
  • Educate the community. Pollution Control provides free, on-site, or virtual presentation to your community. Call us at 239-252-2502.

• Homeowners’ Associations (HOAs) may provide guidance on how a homeowner may implement FFL but they may not prohibit FFL.
• Write good landscape contracts. Tell the landscape contractor exactly what you expect of them, then put it in writing. Make sure the landscape contractor knows that water quality is a priority for the community.
• Use this checklist when hiring landscape professionals.
• Read and understand the Collier County Fertilizer Ordinance(PDF, 188KB) . Incorporate the ordinance into community governing documents and contracts.
• Use only zero - phosphorus fertilizer in Collier County. It is banned because sufficient phosphorus is typically present in southwest Florida soils. Excess phosphorus will run off into the water and cause algae blooms.
• Have the landscape contractor test the soil before any fertilizer is applied. Fertilizer is often not needed for mature, native plants.
• If the landscape contractor needs to apply fertilizer, use the University of Florida’s recommended formula of 8-0-12 plus micronutrients. Research has shown that this is a good choice for the entire landscape.
• If soil tests show that nitrogen is needed, verify that it is at least 50% slow-release nitrogen fertilizer, as required by Collier County Fertilizer Ordinance.
• Don't apply excessive fertilizer in the Spring. There is no wet season ban on nitrogen fertilizer in unincorporated Collier County. There is no need to pile on excess fertilizer to “beat” the ban. Landscape contractors should  apply fertilizer when plants are actively growing and will use the nutrients applied.
• Verify that the landscape contractor is not exceeding the amount of nitrogen allowed per season or year. Ask them to show you how they calculated the amount of nitrogen needed. Check that they aren’t exceeding the lawful amount(PDF, 160KB)  per turf type. If your community uses reclaimed water, don’t forget those nutrients must be included in annual nutrient calculations. Learn more at Collier County Reclaimed Water website. Many reclaimed water users don’t need to fertilize.
• Don't install plants that need a lot of fertilizer, like fruit trees and some palms, near hard surfaces such as driveways or sidewalks.
• Verify that the landscape contractor is mowing turf grass to the proper height by turf type. This keeps the grass healthy so it can absorb nutrients.
• Reduce grassed areas. You can replace St. Augustine grass with groundcovers that require less fertilizer and irrigation than turf grass.
• Hire Green Industry certified landscape professionals.
• Per state law, hire only licensed commercial fertilizer applicators. Use this link to search for your fertilizer applicator(s) by name.
• Always keep grass clippings on the landscape, don’t leave it on hard surfaces. Blow them from the street or sidewalk back onto the lawn.
• Recycle fallen leaves and use as mulch or compost.
• Use woody mulch to hold in moisture. Three inches of wood-based mulch or pine straw will reduce weed growth and lower irrigation needs. Avoid shell and stone mulch under plants. Shell and stone mulches do not retain moisture or benefit soil fertility. They often lead to higher heat under plants.

• Follow local watering restrictions and Collier County Ordinance No. 2015- 27(PDF, 178KB) .
  • Watering restrictions apply even when you use a stormwater pond or reclaimed water to irrigate.
  • Adhere to all SFWMD consumptive use permit requirements.
• Water efficiently, don’t over irrigate.
• Keep irrigation water on the landscape. Never allow irrigation water to fall on hard surfaces like roads or directly into ponds/canals.
  • Have the community’s rain moisture sensors checked regularly. Always verify that it is working properly at the beginning of rainy season.
  • Have the sprinkler heads checked regularly. Verify that the landscape contractor is doing this at each visit. Write that into your contract.
• Have the landscape contractor turn off the irrigation system when rainfall is sufficient, such as during the summer. Write that into the contract. Overwatering kills plants and leads to an increase in pests and fungus.

• Make pet waste removal a priority and convenient. It's the law. Pet waste is nutrient pollution.
• Don't allow anyone in the community to feed the wildlife, especially nonnative ducks.
• Keep stormwater on the property longer. Use rain gardens, bioswales or landscape buffers to slow the flow of stormwater.
• Plant Florida Friendly! You can even get your community recognized as a Florida Friendly Community.

• Hire Green Industry certified lake management professionals.
• Write good lake management contracts. Put in writing exactly what you expect of your contractor. Make sure they know that water quality is a priority for the community.
• Allow for some algae growth. Algae is the foundation of an aquatic food web and not always harmful. Most algae are beneficial.
• Physically/mechanically remove unwanted vegetation or algae from your ponds, instead of using chemicals. This method will remove the excess nutrients. Using chemicals only adds to the nutrient problem by providing a food source for the next algae bloom.
• Allow for a low-maintenance buffer around waterbodies to collect nutrients from runoff.
• Install more plants on littoral banks around ponds. Plants stabilize the shoreline, capture runoff, and provide habitat for species that can use the excess nutrients.
• Pollution Control provides free onsite pond inspections and assessment reports. Call us at 239-252-2502.