Nutrient Management: Everything You Need to Know about Phosphorus

Algae and aquatic plants require nutrients to be able to grow; when nutrients get overloaded into a waterbody, this allows plants and algae to consume these nutrients and take over. One of the main nutrients that nuisance plants thrive on is phosphorus. While phosphorus is a natural part of an ecosystem, the level of phosphorus that pollutes water bodies has dramatically increased due to human activity. This is known as nutrient pollution. High levels of phosphorus can cause harmful algae blooms, aquatic weed overgrowth, kill fish, and disrupt the natural balance of nutrients, causing poor water quality.

There have been many documented cases of nutrient pollution and the negative effects that coincide. This can be seen in Chesapeake Bay, the Mississippi River Basin, Puget Sound, and the Great Lakes. One major problem that frequents the Great Lakes is harmful algae blooms. While these serve as examples of larger waterbodies, high levels of phosphorus are also issues in smaller lakes and ponds. The location of a waterbody along with the practices of those living on or around the area can influence the amount of phosphorus entering the water.

Phosphorus enters a body of water via organic debris such as leaves, branches, animal waste, fertilizer, grass clippings, etc. Phosphorus can also enter via rain and storm runoff. The greatest phosphorus contributors are farm runoff, lawn fertilizers, decaying vegetation, and animal waste. Phosphorus also builds up in the sediments at the bottom of the water body, which then releases it into the water column where it is consumed by vegetation.

The good news is that there are ways to limit or remove phosphorus from a waterbody. Create a buffer strip around your pond where you do not apply fertilizer rich in phosphorus, dredge from in and around the waterbody for debris removal, and keep geese away from the waterbody. These are all great nutrient-preventative measures everyone can do. Muck removal can also be performed by using natural beneficial bacteria to cycle out nutrients, and nutrient management treatments are available to permanently bind the excess phosphorus within the water column.

Nutrient management is an eco-friendly way to reduce the overall growth of nuisance vegetation, including duckweed, watermeal, and algae. Managing the amount of phosphorus present in the water by dredging, introducing bacteria, or performing other sediment removal processes reduces overall vegetation growth in the lake or pond.

As friends of the water, we care about careful management of your lake or pond, from the sediment to the surface—that’s our commitment to you!