• Remove weak, dead, broken, or hanging branches that could be blown from trees, potentially causing damage or clogging stormwater drains.

• Stay informed about upcoming maintenance and report any issues with drains or ditches early: https://www.scgov.net/government/stormwater/stormwater-maintenance

• Safely store items like paints, chemicals, and batteries or dispose of them at one of the county’s chemical collection centers to help prevent the potential for accidental spills during storms: https://www.scgov.net/government/solid-waste/hazardous-waste

• Ensure rain gutters and downspouts are properly secured to your home, and clear debris or clogs

• Avoid applying fertilizer before heavy rain is expected. It can wash away into storm drains and waterways, impact water quality, and cost you money. Sarasota County restricts use of fertilizers between June 1^st and September 30^th. More information on the Fertilizer Restricted Season.

The Problem:

• When it rains, fertilizers, pesticide, and herbicide on your lawn and sidewalk are picked up by stormwater runoff and carried down storm drains that lead directly to local creeks and bays.
• Nutrients and chemicals from fertilizer, pesticide, and herbicides can cause algal blooms and fish kills. 

What You Can Do:

• Avoid spraying during rainy months (June-Sept.)
• Only use as directed on packaging
• Use neem oil and other natural methods to remove pests
• Use native plants that require less chemicals 

Fertilizer Specifics:

SUMMER- June 1-Sep. 30

• It's Fertilizer Restricted Season! Sarasota County prohibits the use of any fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus from June 1 through Sept. 30.
• Green up with iron. Iron products with micro-nutrients keep lawns green through summer.
• Get better dirt. Add compost to improve your soil and give your garden a boost.
• Use plants native to Florida. Plants adapted to Florida need less fertilizer, water, pesticides and overall care.  Plant Recommendations:
  • Inland Plants
  • Coastal Plants
• Keep the clippings. Leave grass clippings on your lawn.
• Mow high for health. Mowing short stresses grass and makes it vulnerable to disease, pests and drought.

WINTER- Oct. 1-May 31

• Watch the weather. Rainstorms don't help fertilizers soak in, they wash fertilizers away.
• Go slow by half. Sarasota County requires at least 50 percent slow-release nitrogen in lawn or landscape fertilizers.

• Blue not green. Keep fertilizer at least 10 feet away from waterways.
• It is recommended to have at least a 6ft low maintenance zone of landscape plants along the edge of your yard to prevent fertilizer runoff- see the Water-Friendly Landscaping Tab for more information on this.  
• Skip the phosphorus. Sarasota County is naturally rich in phosphorus.
• On your guard. Use a spreader with a deflector shield or edge guard to spread fertilizer only where you need it.
• Test your turf. If the problem is a pH Imbalance, pest invasion or disease, then fertilizer is not going to help. You can get your soil tested by UF-IFAS at Twin Lakes Park.

• Displays required BMP Training Certification Decal on its truck and trailers:

• Uses a minimum 50% slow-release nitrogen fertilizer product
• Applies no more than maximum allowable amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer
• Uses a deflector shield on all broadcast fertilizer spreaders
• Removes grass clippings from the roadway, storm drains, and ditches
• Maintains a 10-foot fertilizer free zone around waterbodies and wetlands

• Low-Maintenance Zone Examples:

Along a Stormwater Pond

Along a Seawall

• Use plants native to Florida for your low-maintenance zone. Plants adapted to Florida need less fertilizer, water, pesticides and overall care. Plant Recommendations:
  • Inland Plants
  • Coastal Plants
   
• Switch out your turfgrass or sections of it for a low-maintenance alternative. Ground cover plants like Sunshine Mimosa or Frogfruit are drought tolerant and require little to no fertilizer.

The Problem:

                Grass clippings, leaves, and other yard waste blown into streets lead to clogged storm drains that can cause local flooding and add excess nutrients into our waterways which can cause algal blooms and fish kills.

What You Can Do:

• Leave the leaves! Leave them on your yard or compost them, it’s free fertilizer!
• Place yard waste in paper bags, bundles or reusable containers for collection
• Never blow yard clippings into a storm drain!

• UF-IFAS offers FREE irrigation evaluations to determine your irrigation system efficiency and assist in optimizing it.
• Make sure to have a rain sensor shut-off device on your sprinkler system as they are required for automated irrigations.
• Know your watering day.
• Install a rain barrel and use that for watering. You can purchase rain barrels at a discounted rate by attending a UF-IFAS Rain Barrel Workshop.

• Adding Low Impact Design/Best Management Practices (BMPs) to your yard will reduce and improve the stormwater runoff, which can improve water quality in local ponds, creeks, and bays.
• RainCheck is Stormwater’s incentive rebate program designed to encourage homeowners to install small-scale BMPs that increase stormwater infiltration and improve water quality. Through the RainCheck program, Sarasota County will pay property owners up to a certain amount for eligible (tangible) items in the installation of select BMPs proven to have water quality and quantity benefits:

• Modified Downspouts are attachments that connect to the end/bottom of a downspout to slow the velocity of water from roof runoff, to disperse water, and to filter pollutants by redirecting the flow of water from an impervious surface (i.e. your driveway) to a pervious surface (i.e. your lawn or a rain garden).

Example of downspout extender attachment to modify downspout:

DON'T direct downspout to driveway:

DO direct downspout toward lawn/vegetated areas:

• Bioswales are a vegetated open channels or ditches that treat and reduce stormwater flow. As stormwater flows along these channels, the vegetation slows it down, allowing for filtration of pollutants and increased stormwater infiltration into the underlying soils.

Examples of Bioswales:

• Rain Gardens are depressed areas in the landscape that collects rainwater from a roof, driveway or street and allows it to soak into the ground.

Examples of Rain Gardens:

• Impervious Replacement is the removal of material that does not allow for stormwater absorption and the addition of material that does allow for stormwater absorption in the same area as the original impervious surface.

Example of Impervious Replacement:

                                 Before                                                                          After

• A healthy pond may surprise you. Many residents think a healthy pond has no plants and is surrounded by a perfectly manicured, bright green lawn but that’s not the case.
• Healthy stormwater ponds have well-established littoral and buffer zones filled with native plants.
  • Littoral Zone: Shallow, nearshore area of the pond where sunlight reaches the bottom, supporting aquatic and wetland plants. This zone acts as a transition between land and water and should have abundant vegetation to help hold soil in place, prevent erosion, filter sediment, and absorb excess nutrients.
  • Buffer Zone: The perimeter area of a stormwater pond. This zone should extend 3–10 feet (ideally 10 feet) around the pond and helps protect the shoreline by reducing erosion and limiting pollutants entering the water. Can be created by leaving a no mow zone or low maintenance zone around the pond.

Before and after photo of dramatic transformation of a pond’s littoral zone at Stoneybrook Golf and Country Club, Sarasota, Florida. Efforts to install littoral zones are rewarded with multiple benefits of shoreline stabilization, pollutant removal, and wildlife habitat.

• The Healthy Ponds Guide provides a clear and concise toolbox for property, condo, and homeowner associations to maintain their stormwater ponds’ function to store and treat stormwater, while improving aquatic habitat for Florida’s wildlife and enhancing neighborhood aesthetics. This How To Guide provides step-by-step expert guidance on how to assess, improve, and protect your ponds. Find the guide here: https://sarasota.wateratlas.usf.edu/nest/#healthy-ponds-guide

• Sarasota County supports neighborhoods in maintaining healthy stormwater ponds through the NEST Program
• The NEST Program can:
  • Visit your neighborhood or HOA to give a presentation on stormwater ponds & available funding opportunities.
  • Conduct a site inspection of your stormwater pond & offer recommendations on how to improve its health and functionality.
• Contact the NEST Program Coordinator at NEST@scgov.net

• Visit the Stormwater Maintenance Page to report clogged storm drains.

• Storm Drain Markers are plaques/medallions adhered to storm drains with messages like “No Dumping, Drains to Waterways” to remind residents that runoff into the storm drains flows directly to local waterways, not to treatment facilities. Marking storm drains is a great way to bring awareness to that connection.
• You can request storm drain marking for your neighborhood group or class by emailing kquinn@scgov.net

• The county’s stormwater system is made up of drains, ditches, ponds, etc. It’s designed to help prevent flooding by collecting and transporting rainwater to waterways such as creeks and bays. The stormwater system does not treat rainwater before it’s discharged to waterways. Therefore, it’s important to prevent illicit discharges which could clog the system or damage our environment.
• The stormwater system is separate from the sanitary sewer system. Water flushed down toilets or drained from sinks flows through the sanitary sewer system to a wastewater treatment plant, while stormwater runoff flows directly into our waterways.

• Common examples of illicit discharges include dumping these items into the stormwater system:
  • Vehicle fluids- oil, gasoline
  • Pet waste
  • Pesticides & Fertilizers
  • Household Cleaners
  • Paints & solvents
  • Yard waste-grass clippings, leaves
  • Grease & Cooking Oil
  • Concrete & Mortar
  • Chlorinated Pool Water
  • Trash

The Problem:

• Items like paint, fertilizers, pesticides, cleaners, weed killers, and used motor oil can become a pollution risk if stored on the ground. When it rains, stormwater can carry those pollutants into storm drains and nearby waterways.
• Household hazardous waste must never be placed in regular trash or recycling bins, as they can cause fires, toxic fumes, and serious injuries to sanitation workers. These items require specialized disposal at Chemical Collection Centers.

What You Can Do:

• Residents can dispose of household hazardous waste for no charge at:
  • The Sarasota County Hazardous Waste Chemical Collection Center at the end of Bee Ridge Road
  • The Citizens’ Convenience Center in Nokomis
  • The Venice Chemical Collection Center
  • For more information about the facilities and what is accepted, visit https://www.scgov.net/government/solid-waste/hazardous-waste

• Before draining your pool, ensure the amount of chlorine is less than or equal to 0.01 mg/L.
• Ensure the pH level is between 6.5 and 8.5
• Pool water should not be cloudy or murky. Any solids or particles should be allowed to settle out and not be discharged with the water.
• Direct the discharge of pool water over a vegetated surface so that some level of filtration can occur.
• Control the rate of discharge to avoid erosion and nuisance conditions for neighboring properties.
• Do not discharge to areas recently treated with herbicides or pesticides.

The Problem:

• Pet waste left on sidewalks, streets, or yards can be carried by stormwater into our ponds, creeks, and bays. A single gram (about 1/4 teaspoon) of pet waste contains an average of 23 million fecal coliform bacteria, some of which can cause illnesses to people. In addition to human health risks, bacteria and nutrients in pet waste can cause water quality problems like algae blooms and impaired waters.

What You Can Do:

• Always keep a bag with you and throw pet waste in the garbage
• Hire a pet waste removal service 

• Think you see pollution or an illicit discharge to the stormwater system? Use the Report Pollution tool to help protect local waterways: https://sarasota.wateratlas.usf.edu/atlas-forms/ReportPollution

Participate in Community Cleanups!

• Keep Sarasota County Beautiful hosts three cleanup events throughout the year:
  • The Great American Cleanup (spring event)
  • The Liberty Litter Cleanup (summer event)
  • The International Coastal Cleanup (fall event)

• We offer environmental education for residents, businesses, and students. We can provide speakers and educational materials focusing on the following topics:
  • Water quality (surface water, ground water, stormwater)
  • Stormwater Ponds
  • Seagrass in Sarasota County
  • Watersheds
  • Illicit discharges
  • Pollution prevention
  • National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES) permitting
  • Storm Drain Marking Program