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| LINK TO VIDEO FILE | http://imedia.unr.edu/Tahoe/82_GrassLawns.asx (01:40) |
| Title | Fertilizer Use Near Shore Can Speed Algae Growth |
| Author/Creator | Cobourn, John; Purdy, Shelly; Segale, Heather M. |
| Related item(s) | Press Release available at http://www.tahoe.unr.edu/resources/Segment082.pdf |
| Date Original | 2004-08-31 |
| Summary/Description | Lake Tahoe Report Segment #82 - "Lawns and Fertilizer" (Air Date: August 31, 2004). Scott Hackley from the UC Davis Tahoe Research Group discusses the importance of careful fertilizer management when watering lawns, given that runoff water with fertilizer in it can cause algae growth in the lake, impacting water clarity. |
| Subject | Algae -- Tahoe, Lake, Region (Calif. and Nev.)
Water quality -- Tahoe, Lake, Region (Calif. and Nev.)
Nitrogen fertilizers -- Environmental aspects
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| Location | Lake Tahoe (Calif. and Nev.)
Tahoe, Lake (Calif. and Nev.)
|
| Collection | The Lake Tahoe Report |
| Original Publisher | Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition (http://www.lteec.org) |
| Electronic Publisher | University of Nevada, Reno - Department of Teaching and Learning Technologies |
| Ordering and Permissions Information | For more information, contact the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, http://www.lteec.org or 775-832-4138. |
| Format | video/wmv |
| Date Digital | 2005-03-14 |
| Relation | Requires Windows Media Player |
| Resource Type | Moving Image |
| Language | eng |
| Contributing Institution | University of Nevada, Reno |
| Transcription | Segment 82: Lawns Air Date: August 31, 2004 Tease @ 16:02 "The same fertilizer that you use to make grass green is making the algae grow in Lake Tahoe. I'm Shelly Purdy, I'll explain in tonight's Lake Tahoe Report. Anchor Intro: Studies show that green grassy lawns may be having an impact on the quality and clarity of the water in Lake Tahoe. Shelly Purdy explains in tonight's Lake Tahoe Report. ((TAKE PKG)) ((note – Tim, you might need to pull or shoot some grass video – tight shots - and the algae on rocks video)) ((nats-water on shore)) ((Track 1)) By looking at it on such a beautiful clear blue day, you might think what's all this fuss over Lake Tahoe? The reality is, the lake is losing its famed crystal clarity. And at least part of the reason has to do with grassy lawns near the lake's shore. ((sot @ 6:56 Scott Hackley, UC Davis Tahoe Research Group)) "Algae are a lot similar to grass or your lawns that you're fertilizing. They love nitrogen and phosphorous that's the food for algae. So, when you have more usage of fertilizer and that fertilizer gets into the water along shore, you're gonna have heavy algae growth." ((track 2)) And it's that algae growth that's becoming more and more noticeable in the lake. This fertilizer connection is a problem that researchers have known about since the 80's, when they conducted a study of two lakefront sites. ((sot @ 4:40ish)) "One site was immediately beneath a condo complex and the condo had a lawn out front near the shore of Lake Tahoe. The other site was west about 200 yards and it was beneath a pristing forested area. What they found was during one year thee was heavy algae growth on the rocks beneath the condo complex and very little growth just 200 yards west." ((s/u @ 15:28 Shelly Purdy)) "This is just one example of the many lakefront properties that go right up to the lake. And even though the water is low this year, lawns like this are still having a big impact on water quality." ((track 3)) Because when these lawns get watered, and that water runs off into the lake…the fertilizer goes with it. That's why careful management of fertilizer use is so critical to the health of the lake. With the Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition, I'm Shelly Purdy for KOLO NC8. Anchor Tag: For Lake Tahoe area property owners, the experts recommend that you only fertilize once in the spring and once in the fall. Lawns in the Tahoe area don't need any additional fertilization during the summertime. |
