Vernon Hills to ban phosphorus

Lush lawns won't be on the priority list for awhile, but come spring, residents and contractors in Vernon Hills will be limited in their use of fertilizer.

Vernon Hills will become the sixth community in Lake County to ban fertilizer containing phosphorus, a measure intended to protect water quality and the condition of lakes, streams and ponds, which can be overcome with algae as phosphorus washes into them.

A pound of phosphorus can generate 350 pounds of algae, according to Public Works Director Ed Laudenslager. Excessive amounts can limit oxygen and harm fish and other aquatic plants and affect the clarity of water.

Costs to physically or chemically clear excessive algae in village ponds - which can reach tens of thousands of dollars - also was considered by the village board in support of an ordinance, to be approved Dec. 18.

Laudenslager last month initiated the discussion because he will have to determine how much to budget for treating phosphorus in 19 ponds in or around the White Deer Run Golf Club. There are an estimated 40 ponds throughout the village.

"I don't necessarily want to be spending $50,000, $75,000 or $100,000 a year to be spraying ponds for algae," said Mayor Roger Byrne.

Enforcement will be another matter. The village plans a public education campaign and will be in contact with major retailers and commercial lawn services.

"It isn't our intention to write citations," said Village Manager Mike Allison. "We're working on voluntary compliance."

Vernon Hills will join Antioch, Third Lake, Lindenhurst, Round Lake Park and Round Lake Beach in banning the use of phosphorus. Its use is banned by state law in Minnesota and legislation is pending in Wisconsin and Michigan.

Experts say in most cases there isn't a reason to use it.

"Basically, most soils in the Midwest have ample phosphorus for plants to grow," said Mike Adam, head of the lakes management unit of the Lake County Health Department. "What really makes people's lawns nice and green and lush is the nitrogen."

The Vernon Hills ordinance will allow some exceptions. The ban won't apply to lawns where soil tests confirm the need for phosphorus or for flower beds and vegetable gardens.

Some non-phosphorus fertilizer brands are available but can be hard to find. Information on phosphorus and locations that carry phosphorus-free fertilizer are available in the lakes management unit section of the county's Web site, www.lakecountyil.gov.

"As more and more places offer no-phosphorus fertilizer options, more people will buy them," Adam said.