Manage Fertilizers
Fertilizer management entails controlling the amount and timing of fertilizer application to lawns, golf courses, and athletic fields. This can be accomplished through public education and behavior change campaigns, as well as regulatory ordinances. Behavior change campaigns focus on reducing fertilizer use, applying at the right time or replacing landscape elements that require fertilizer – for example switching Kentucky blue grass for native meadow plants or simply reducing the size of a lawn.
Nitrogen Removal
- 25-75%
Cost Efficiency
- $67-$250 per pound of nitrogen removed
Project Costs
- $50,000 to $100,000 estimated cost for Watershed wide campaign
- Chesapeake reported $15 per household for outreach intiative
Strengths
- Inexpensive compared to technology and infrastructure approaches
- Fertilizer management saves homeowners and business owners money
- Management includes simple changes to lawn management
- Fertilizer management can begin immediately
Weaknesses
- Peoples agreeing to apply less fertilizer requires changing social norms
- Fertilizer management changes requires work with industry
- Changing behavior is difficult and takes time
- Difficult to enforce fertilizer management requirements
- Difficult to quantify and monitor effect of fertilizer management actions
