(Published Friday, February 9, 2007 11:55:49 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By Chris Schultz Gazette staff
LAKE GENEVA-Banning phosphorus from land applications is not new and not so far away from Geneva Lake.
Town of Delavan passed such an ordinance several years ago, and the nearby city of Delavan approved a similar ordinance this past year to take effect in 2008.
Further north, Dane County has had phosphorus fertilizer controls since 2005.
Ted Peters, Geneva Lake Environmental Agency director, said he and the agency board have been looking to Dane County as a model for developing a Geneva Lake ordinance.
John Pelletier, Delavan town board chairman, said his town's ban is primarily to encourage people to stop using fertilizers with phosphorus.
"We want to get the message across that we don't want to do anything to damage the (Delavan) lake," Pelletier said.
Joe Salitros, Delavan city manager, said this year is the notification year for lawn care companies, garden centers and citizens in the city that starting in 2008, phosphorus fertilizers will be controlled. He said the city decided it had to keep up with the town to protect Delavan Lake.
Both Pelletier and Salitros said they realize that enforcing the ordinance will be difficult.
The town, in fact, has no penalties for using phosphorus fertilizer.
The city of Delavan ordinance includes a $25 fine for the first offense and $50 for second and subsequent offenses. Salitros said the penalties were based on a similar ordinance now in effect in Dane County.
Salitros said he doesn't expect the controls will completely eliminate use of phosphorus on lawns.
"You can't get rid of it altogether unless you're going into peoples' garages," Salitros said.
Getting countywide control will be difficult, since individual towns, villages and cities in Walworth County would have to approve their own ordinances.
Dane County has a Watershed and Lakes Commission that can propose countywide ordinances to protect lakes and rivers in the county, said Marcia Hartwig, commission public information officer.
The phosphorus ordinance, approved by the Dane County Board, took effect throughout the county regardless of municipal boundaries, Hartwig said.
Dane County did considerable research before enacting the ban, Hartwig said. According to documents from the watershed commission, tested samples showed that on average Dane County soils contained three times the phosphorus needed for healthy plant growth.
