Spring and summer are good months to invest in a healthy lawn, which provides many environmental benefits, including the reduction of soil erosion and the filtering of stormwater runoff.
Celebration CDD (“District”) asks residents to remember that what you use on your plant material and the quantities you use inevitably affect the District’s drainage system and stormwater ponds. The ponds are part of an interconnected system that works to keep excess water off streets and yards.
Grass clippings and excess fertilizer are the biggest causes of algae and other noxious weeds in the ponds. This disrupts the ecological balance of the pond. If algal growth is kept under control or at a low level, the pond will remain clear. Conversely, if algae are rampant, the pond will look green.
Below are some ways you can help reduce the impact of spring fertilization on the ponds and drainage system.
- Do not allow grass clippings/debris to get into the drainage structures along the curb or alleys. These drains are all connected and flow into the ponds and then into the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District’s system (“CFTOD,” formerly Reedy Greek Improvement District). The District must follow specific guidelines when it comes to levels of certain chemicals.
- Clippings and debris can also clog the system so that it will not work as intended in the event of a heavy rain or hurricane.
- Do not over fertilize lawns or plant material.
- Make sure sprinkler heads are aimed toward plant material and not street or sidewalks. Irrigation water from Toho Water Authority already contains high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus.
- Do not throw trash in any pond or waterway.
- Do not allow chemicals such as vehicle fluids, paint, weed killers, liquid fertilizers to enter the stormwater system. Remember “only rain down the drain.”
For more information on this subject and other helpful tips, please visit our website www.CelebrationCDD.org. You may also contact us at 40-566-1935 or admin@celebrationcdd.org.
Board of Supervisors