Go ahead, ban phosphorous in lawn fertilizer

From the Janesville Gazette

...Madison's lakes are part of what make Dane County special, and that county enacted a ban in 2004 that an appeals court wisely upheld last year.

...In the meantime, residents can do their part by making sure fertilizers they buy do not contain phosphorous, which isn't needed to keep your lawn looking green.

...In a column the Gazette published in March, Janesville's Brian Swingle, executive director of the Wisconsin Green Industry Federation, even argued that a ban on phosphorous in fertilizer applied around Geneva Lake would have "a negligible, if any, effect on reducing the amount of phosphorous" in the lake.

...Do not mow your lawn shorter than 3 inches so it can absorb heavy rains. Sweep or blow fertilizers, grass clippings and leaves off sidewalks, driveways and streets. Swingle even suggests that a well-maintained lawn provides a natural, protective blanket that reduces runoff.