Residents reminded that use of fertilizer is prohibited May 15 to October 31

With rainy season approaching, Miami-Dade County is observing Fertilizer Awareness Week May 5-9, to educate residents and businesses about the annual fertilizer use restrictions that begin on May 15. 

Rainy season typically produces seven to nine inches of monthly rainfall that can cause fertilizer runoff into local stormwater systems, canals and groundwater, which ultimately ends up in the Biscayne Bay watershed. Miami-Dade County prohibits the use of fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus on turf and landscape plants in residential and commercial areas from May 15 to October 31, to reduce harmful nutrients from polluting the waters of Biscayne Bay. 

“As we mark Fertilizer Awareness Week, it’s essential to remember the critical role we all play in protecting our waterways,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “By using fertilizers responsibly, we can protect Biscayne Bay, the blue heart of Miami-Dade,  and its vital ecosystem.”

Fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus have been identified as a contributing factor to the nutrient pollution in Biscayne Bay. Nutrient pollution promotes algal blooms that can block the sunlight necessary for seagrass growth and lead to low levels of dissolved oxygen in our bay waters. Low levels of dissolved oxygen have contributed to fish kills in the past.

More information is available at www.miamidade.gov/fertilizer.