'Green' river is usually a sick river
It's that time of year when green is our goal. St. Patirick's Day has us searching our closets for anything green, the early flowers are pushing green leaves up above the soil, and the Chicago River even gets a green makeover.
I am a fan of folks greening their lifestyles. But as a Fox River advocate, I am asking my neighbors to be responsible with their quest for the green lawn. Lawn fertilizer can be a threat to water quality.
The conditions in the river are always changing, and are influenced by the land around it. Humans have changed the natural landscape, usually resulting in a negative impact upon the health of our rivers.
Lawn fertilizer is one of those threats. Excess nutrients can result in an imbalance that reduces the river's oxygen level, which impacts a variety of biological organisms that the river supports. A green river is usually a sick river.
If you plan on using a lawn fertilizer, please have your lawn analyzed to determine if you even need a fertilizer application. Before you apply a fertilizer, read the label and only apply what is needed and when (not going to rain) it is appropriate. Properly apply the product so that it is not on the sidewalk or in the street.
Fertilizer on hard surfaces can wash into the street's storm drain and then will become part of the river's system. Clean up anything, especially fertilizer from your streets drain. If you hire a lawn service, hold them accountable to appropriate application as listed above.
Collectively, our individual actions to go green have significant impacts. Please join Friends of the Fox River in protecting water quality with responsible actions like limiting the impacts of fertilizer and other pollutants in our neighborhoods.
Gary Swick
Elgin