As concern for the water quality across the state of Iowa continues to grow, the Lake Panorama Association is asking residents to consider using less lawn fertilizer or modifying the kind of lawn fertilizer they use this fall.

The lake experienced another blue-green algae bloom this season, which results from high levels of fertilizer nutrients.  The LPA believes such an issue could be prevented in the future by limiting the amount of lawn fertilizer used, especially by residents along the shoreline.

General Manager John Rutledge says the Association is a big proponent of improving water quality in Iowa, and addressing the lawn fertilizer issue is their way of helping toward making that happen.

“We don’t believe that the lawn fertilizer at the lake is a significant factor (in poor water quality), but it is certainly a drop in the bucket so to speak.  We try to lead by example and of course we’re hopeful that our upstream neighbors–be that agriculture or municipalities–are also trying to limit their nutrient load on the river and subsequently the lake.  So, I don’t want to lead people to believe that we are the major factor, but we certainly want to lead by example.”

Rutledge advises residents who do plan to fertilize their lawns to use a product with little or no phosphorus.  Much of the soils in Iowa already have enough phosphorus to allow for quality grass growth, and Rutledge says additional phosphorus can be a waste of resources and ultimately, will have a negative effect on water quality.