In the News

Fertilizer Use Near the Shore Can Speed Algae Growth
date posted: December 22 2005

Lake Tahoe Report #82
Aug. 27, 2004
By John Cobourn and Heather Segale


The same fertilizer that you use to make you grass green can also make algae grow in Lake Tahoe. Algae require nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, to flourish. Fertilizers for our lawns and gardens also contain nitrogen and phosphorus. For this reason, TRPA’s fertilizer management program restricts the use of fertilizer in the shorezone area.

Studies suggest that lawns may be having an impact on the quality and clarity of the water in Lake Tahoe. According to Scott Hackley, researcher, UC Davis Tahoe Research Group, “Algae are very similar to grass or your lawns that you’re fertilizing. They love nitrogen and phosphorous. That’s the food for algae. So, when you have more usage of fertilizer, and that fertilizer gets into the water along shore, you’re going to have more algae growth.”

The slimy attached algae that coat rocks near the shore are called periphyton. The growth rates of periphyton have been measured and studied for more than 30 years. A consistent finding has been an association between development and disturbance in the watershed and increased periphyton growth near shore.

One important study compared the growth of attached algae at developed and undeveloped locations. Studying two lakefront sites, researchers were able to compare the quantity of algal biomass in the water in front of the two properties. One site was immediately beneath a condominium complex that had a lawn out front near the shore of Lake Tahoe. The other site was west about 200 yards, beneath a pristine forested area. “What they found was increased algae growth on the rocks beneath the condo complex and very little growth just 200 yards west,” Hackley reports. The observed differences in periphyton production between these two sites are probably due to the heavy use of fertilizers on the lawn that leached into the lake.

This finding underscores the importance of limiting the use of fertilizer in the Tahoe Basin. Stories of overzealous fertilizer use on lawns right up to the water’s edge are shocking, given that fertilizer can feed the growth of unsightly algae. Lakefront property owners should be careful and instruct their lawn maintenance personnel to take extra precautions when using any fertilizers, detergents or other products that contain plant nutrients.

For Lake Tahoe area properties, experts recommend fertilization just once in the spring and once in the fall. Lawns in the Tahoe area do not need fertilization during midsummer. Follow the instructions on the package and apply only the amount needed. Chapter Nine of the “Home Landscaping Guide for Lake Tahoe” recommends an application rate of only one-half to three-quarters pounds of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of turf in each of the two applications. Irrigate the lawn immediately after applying the fertilizer to promote quick absorption. However, avoid overwatering to prevent runoff that can result in further pollution of the lake. Before applying fertilizer, check the weather forecast. Don’t fertilize on days when thunderstorms are predicted. If lawns are overwatered or receive heavy rain after fertilization or other chemical treatments, the water can run off or seep into the lake, taking the nutrients and other chemicals with it.

For more information about lawn care, fertilization or installation of required best management practices (BMPs), call to schedule a free BMP site evaluation. As part of this site visit, you will receive a free copy of the “Home Landscaping Guide for Lake Tahoe.” In California, call the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, (530) 543-1501, ext. 6. In Nevada, call the Nevada Tahoe Conservation District, (775) 586-7223, ext. 1. If you own a property on the shoreline of Lake Tahoe, call the Erosion Control Team, (775) 588-4547, ext. 202. For more information on local fertilizer management programs and requirements for use, logon to http://www.trpa.org/fertilizerprogram/fertilizerprogram.html.