April 17, 2014 — Each of us needs to do our part to keep our waterways ‘swimmable and fishable.’ Remember what goes into the water today ends up in our fish and shellfish tomorrow.
These spring days set our minds to cleaning the yard, opening the pool and getting the boat ready for summer fishing season. Our coastal watershed is a summertime playground for boating, fishing, crabbing, clamming and swimming. Each of us needs to do our part to keep our waterways ‘swimmable and fishable.’ Remember what goes into the water today ends up in our fish and shellfish tomorrow.
Make yourself aware of Maryland’s Lawn Fertilizer Law which took effect Oct. 1, 2013. Lawn fertilizers are rich in nutrients and when you water your lawn, or it rains, these nutrients wash off into our canals and bays feeding those monsters of green slime and algae that clog your boat motor intakes and starve aquatic life. Don’t fertilize if rain is predicted. Keep a “no fertilizer zone” from canals and waterways of at least 15 feet. Use phosphorus free fertilizers and don’t apply more than 0.9 pound total nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. These rules are now mandated by Maryland law. To ease your pain, plant native shrubs, flowers and grasses, which don’t require fertilizer, along your bulkheads or along the edge of lawn that slopes to a roadside drainage ditch. Visit the Maryland Department of Agriculture website, http://mda.maryland.gov/Pages/fertilizer.aspx to learn more about the lawn fertilizer regulations.
With so many boats on the water, small discharges of oil, sewage and toxic maintenance products from our boats can add up. Give your boat a spring tune-up by a trained technician to make sure all fuel lines are tight and your engine is running at peak capacity.