Lagoon-Friendly for Homeowners

1. Reduce Fertilizer, Pesticides and Runoff

Do your part to improve the lagoon’s water quality by reducing your use of fertilizers and pesticides:

• Skip the lawn fertilizer during the summer. Fertilize your lawn in spring and fall using slow-release nitrogen formulations that continue to fertilize over time.
• Follow local ordinances that ban the use of nitrogen fertilizers during the summer rainy season. All lagoon counties and most cities have adopted summer fertilizer bans.
• Limit the use of pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals on your property. When weeds emerge, hand-pull them. If insects become pests, spot-treat only the problem areas.
• Leave a 10-foot fertilizer- and pesticide-free buffer zone along your waterfront, pond or canal to ensure excess nutrients in fertilizers don’t wash into the lagoon.

You can also help by reducing the amount of stormwater that runs off your property:

• Install rain barrels and rain gardens to contain stormwater on your property rather than allowing it to run off into storm drains and canals.
• Redirect your home’s downspouts into your landscaping or onto the lawn if you don’t use rain barrels or rain gardens. This is better than having rain flow down your driveway to storm drains or canals.

2. Remove Invasive Plants

Remove exotic invasive plants from your landscaping:

• Identify invasive plants like Brazilian pepper, Australian pine, Mexican petunia and many others. These don’t contribute much value as food or shelter for native animals.
• Clear invasive plants, which often crowd out desirable native plants that benefit wildlife.
• Check the Florida Invasive Species Council’s complete list at floridainvasives.org or the University of South Florida’s mobile field guide to Florida’s invasive plants at plantatlas.usf.edu/flip if you’re unsure whether plants are invasive.

3. Restore Native Habitat

Restore natural Florida habitats to your landscaping to attract desirable wildlife like butterflies and birds:

• Replace a portion of your lawn with native plants that have fruits, flowers, seeds or leaves that wildlife species eat.
• Plant larval and nectar plants to feed caterpillars and adults if you want to attract butterflies.
• Provide shelter and shade by planting a variety of plants that grow to different heights to vertically layer your landscaping.
• Supply wildlife with freshwater by installing a pond, fountain or birdbath. Keep the water moving with a small pump to prevent mosquito breeding.
• Restore living shorelines to your property if you have a waterfront residence. Living shorelines use a variety of materials and techniques to promote natural bank stabilization and prevent erosion.

4. Respond to Algal Blooms and Fish Kills

Whenever a major algae bloom or fish kill happens, residents throughout the lagoon region ask, “What can I do to help?” We say, “Respond!” Here’s how:

• Learn more about the issues affecting the lagoon, and take action to help.
• Volunteer with one of the many organizations focused on lagoon restoration and protection. Whether your interest is in native plants, litter cleanup, shoreline restoration, oyster reefs or another topic, there’s a group for you.
• Make sure your septic system isn’t contributing to the lagoon’s problems. Inspect it every 3 years, and have it pumped as needed.

5. Rebuild Lagoon-Friendly Features

Want your home to be more lagoon-friendly? Consider rebuilding some of your property’s features:

• Replace part of your lawn with native plants that require less water, fertilizer and pesticides.
• Upgrade your traditional septic system to an advanced system that treats wastewater more effectively. Better yet, hook into city sewer lines when you can.
• Install permeable pavement that lets rain soak into the ground rather than run off your property to storm drains or canals. This is a great option when replacing a driveway or pathway around your home.
• Replace your seawall with a living shoreline (a natural alternative using plants and oyster reefs instead of hard structures) if you own a waterfront home. It helps prevent erosion and buffer the effects of storms while providing a habitat for lagoon animals.

6. Research Your Yard, Home and Lagoon

Knowledge is power! To live lagoon-friendly, do a little research to learn about your yard, plumbing and options for living sustainably:

• Know your septic system. The U.S. EPA has resources for homeowners through its SepticSmart program, available at epa.gov/septic.
• Know your plants. Landscape using the nine principles of Florida-Friendly landscaping to save time, money and water.
• Know your bugs. Keeping your plants healthy often means knowing which insects are good and which ones are pests. Learn the difference before applying pesticides.
• Know your lagoon. Keep up with the issues affecting the lagoon and what agencies, local governments and community groups are doing to address them.

7. Report Dumping and Wildlife Emergencies

All counties and most cities and towns have emergency phone numbers to report illegal dumping and discharging activities.

• Report these things, and be a good neighbor:
  • Illegal dumping of appliances, used tires, furniture or other items.
  • Illicit discharges of sewage, paint, chemicals, solvents, cooking oils, car fluids and other materials directly into storm drains or neighborhood canals. This is particularly important if you see a business dumping fluids or other materials into a canal or waterway.
  • Contact Florida Fish and Wildlife at myfwc.com/contact to report algae blooms, fish kills and distressed or dead wildlife.

8. Resolve To Keep the Lagoon Clean

The lagoon community is one community. It’s everyone’s job to keep it clean:

• Resolve today to do your part to live lagoon-friendly:
  • Clean up after yourself when you’re out enjoying the lagoon. Don’t leave trash, tangled fishing line or other waste behind.
  • Lend a hand and pick up any loose trash others have left.
  • Enlist your friends and neighbors to join you in living lagoon-friendly.
  • Get active in your community. Learn about the issues affecting the lagoon, and support efforts to address and solve these problems.

9. Resilience: Build Coastal Strength

Communities throughout the U.S. are planning to make themselves more resilient to impacts from natural disasters and climate change. Hurricane seasons particularly illustrate Florida’s vulnerability.

You can help make your property and community more resilient:

• Replace your bulkhead or rip rap shoreline with a living shoreline if you’re a waterfront homeowner. Oysters and marsh grasses like Spartina provide natural, three-dimensional structure that helps dissipate wave energy and storm surge while preventing erosion.
• Volunteer your time to support shoreline, seagrass, wetland and oyster reef restoration projects. These improve community resilience to natural disasters and climate change.
• Stay informed about the ways your community is planning for coastal resilience and adapting to rising sea levels.

10. Responsibility: Be Accountable as a Property Owner

Whether you’re a home, car, boat or pet owner, be mindful of your responsibilities to help keep your community clean and safe:

• Never dump anything down a storm drain or into a canal. Storm drains and canals are for rain only.
• Maintain your cars and boats so they don’t leak oil, fuel and fluids onto roads or into the lagoon.
• Keep your boat off seagrass beds and oyster reefs. Prop scarring in seagrass beds can take years to heal.
• Obey speed zones, and operate safely to protect wildlife, other boaters and yourself.
• Pick up after your pet, and dispose of waste in the trash.
• Use pump-out stations for marine toilets. If you’re camping, carry waste alleviating gel (WAG) bags with you to pack out human waste for proper disposal. Learn more about responsible outdoor living at lnt.org.

Donate to One Lagoon through the IRLNEP, and help turn small individual actions into lagoon-wide change.