Adding phosphorus fertilizer to a lawn is like pouring coffee into a full cup. It is going to spill over. The good news is that we do not have to choose between poor lawns and clean lakes. Studies on golf courses clearly show that turf does not necessarily have to degrade water quality. The difference is that golf course operators do not apply phosphorus unless a soil test indicates a need for it.
Many golf courses have very high quality turf, and good runoff water quality.
In order to maintain high quality turf, golf course managers need to aerate the soil regularly to reduced compaction, over-seed bare or thin turf areas, maintain adequate organic matter in the soil, and established turf on till subsoil to encourage a deeper rooting depth. By implementing these practices, and raising the mower cut height to three inches or higher, the impact of lawns on water quality can be significantly reduced. However, the most important thing you can do for our lakes is to insist on a true phosphorus free fertilizer product. Remember, as golf courses have shown, you can have good turf and protect water quality by using a phosphorus free fertilizer.