For hundreds of years, Londoners dumped garbage, emptied chamber pots and poured industrial waste from places like slaughterhouses into the Thames River. Because the population was relatively small, the river could handle the volume of nastiness it carried to the sea with the outgoing tide. But during the Industrial Revolution, the city began a period of rapid growth that led to a surge of inexpensive housing that multiplied the amount of sewage being dumped. Ironically, the popularization of flush toilets greatly added to the problem since they discharged directly into sewer systems that were originally designed to carry only stormwater runoff. During the summer of 1858 in London, the Thames had finally had enough ... literally. Temperatures were warmer than usual and caused a biological reaction in this offal-filled river, triggering an event known as the "Big Stink." Wealthy residents streamed out of the city to escape, and the government hurriedly deliberated in sweltering conditions behind closed doors and windows covered with drapes soaked in chloride of lime to try to mask the incredible stench. Something had to be done.

Flash-forward nearly 150 years to Jacksonville, Fla., and you'll find a parallel between two seemingly different environments: Add the same basic elements of rapid growth, ineffective sewage treatment, industrial discharge, and substances other than stormwater runoff being piped into the St. Johns River, and you have a similar recipe for disaster. Only this time, the "stink" has arrived in the form of a fluorescent-green slime that covers the surface of the water, which residents have dubbed the "Green Monster." The sudden algae bloom in 2005 shocked locals because the St. Johns River, which flows north through the middle of downtown Jacksonville - the city's signature characteristic - had outwardly appeared to
be the picture of health. Although the algae bloom, which lasted from mid-July to mid-October, caught many unaware, there was at least one person not surprised: Neil Armingeon, a.k.a. "The Riverkeeper."

Armingeon is the point man for the St. Johns Riverkeeper (www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org), a grassroots, non-profit watchdog organizaton. It has identified many culprits that contribute to the St. Johns' woes, such as agricultural interests and the Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA), the community-owned utility that provides electricity for the city, as well as water and sewage services for 80 percent of its residents. In December 2005, Armingeon filed suit against the JEA for a 5-million-gallon release of untreated raw sewage into a St. Johns tributary, which propelled the company to quickly take corrective action. Armingeon identified another threat to the river, and one that may come as a surprise: You. As it turns out, the average citizen might be just as guilty as big business when it comes to polluting urban bodiesof water like the St. Johns River. And for those in other regions of the country who are gloating at the yokels in Cowford -Jacksonville's former name - don't laugh, because this same scenario is repeating all over the country in virtually every body of water adjacent to "civilization."

Perception is a big part of the problem: When you picture the headwaters of a river like the 310-mile-long St. Johns, you think of places like the marshy areas in Indian and Brevard counties to the south and the Green Swamp in Central Florida, which have numerous springs bubbling up from the Floridan Aquifer, an underground water system that runs through the porous limestone substrata under much of the state. This prolific swamp spawns many of Florida's major rivers like the Hillsborough, Peace, Withlacoochee and Ocklawaha, the last of which flows directly into the St. Johns. You also envision the headwaters as being tributary rivers such as the Wekiva, Trout and Ortega. But in urban areas, one of the main headwaters of rivers like the St. Johns can be found at the drain at the end of your street. Designed to carry water from rainstorms away from residential areas to prevent flooding, stormwater drains also carry automotive road gunk like oil, gas spills, rubber and antifreeze to the river. But an even larger culprit is fertilizer from neighbors competing to see who can grow the lushest emerald-green carpet in their yards.

During heavy rainstorms, the fertilizer heads directly for the river since the overwhelming majority of storm drains in Jacksonville don't feature any sort of treatment, according to Armingeon. And the drains that do have some sort of intervention merely trap large solids. Although Florida's soil typically contains adequate amounts of phosphorus for grass growth, most fertilizers are loaded with it. When this nutrient, along with nitrogen, hits the river, it feeds the growth of other things like microcystis aeruginosa.

Commonly regarded as blue-green algae, this day-glow green organism that grew into the "Green Monster" is actually a simpler form of life closely related to bacteria. Found in many places throughout the world such as the Great Lakes, this rotting, stinking sludge mat covering the surface of the water produces toxins that can kill fish and be harmful to mammals that come into contact with it or drink it. Microcystis also depletes a body of water's oxygen supply, which is of special concern since the EPA had recently stunned many concerned citizens by lowering the acceptable dissolved-oxygen level of the river. Armingeon's group sued them. Undeterred, the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) says its scientists, whose data was used by the EPA prior to making the ruling, support lowering the standard from the long-time, nationally accepted level. SJRWMD Executive Director Kirby Green calls the old standard a one-size-fits-all dictum, which doesn't apply in this unique, estuarine ecosystem. According to Green, adhering to the old standard would divert resources by trying to attain a level that couldn't be sustained even before the advent of large-scale development. Armingeon takes exception, citing the fact that most of the time the river comes close or meets federal regulations even in its polluted state. "The new standards create a loophole, allowing more pollutants to be able to be dumped into the river," says Armingeon.

Like the Londoners a century and a half ago who were spurred on to action by their ecological meltdown, the massive '05 algae bloom in Jacksonville served as a catalyst to correct the problem. Last summer, Jacksonville's mayor, John Peyton, convened a blue-ribbon panel and later introduced River Accord (www.coj.net/Mayor/River+Accord), a 10-year, $700 million project designed not only to clean up the river but also to provide greater access for recreation such as boating. The plan includes measures for cleaning up wastewater, addressing pollution sources such as septic tanks and lawn fertilizer, and providing real-time monitoring of water quality. And in the wake of developer acquisitions of marinas - a growing trend throughout the United States - the increased access addressed within the cleanup plan will be a welcome development for boaters looking to enjoy the St. Johns River.

Although the River Accord is a step forward toward cleaning up the river, it's not a final solution. "I'm cautiously optimistic of the plan," says Armingeon. "Although you can't clean up this river for only $700 million, it's a start."
While it's unfortunate that it took the algae bloom of 2005 to spur the citizens of Jacksonville into action, it at least created a sense of urgency that's led to an approach other than "let's study the problem." For the first time, all segments of the community have come together and worked to create a plan that will get the ball rolling toward having a river that everyone can be proud of again. The SJRWMD's aggressive media campaign "It's Your River" (www.floridaswater.com/LSJRB/your_ river.html) helps residents take ownership of the river (and its problems). But this isn't a story just about the St. Johns; it's about how a community can work together to tackle a huge environmental problem. And if they can stick to the plan, the result will be a cleaner river for everyone. Take a lesson from Jacksonville: Don't wait for the Green Monster to get to you.


Growing a "Green" Lawn

Lawn fertilizer is a major culprit in the pollution of rivers. Here are some ways you can help minimize the problem:

1. Rethink the "emerald carpet" yard, and consider replacing at least part of the grass with hardy, drought-resistant native plants that don't require fertilizer.

2. Select a fertilizer that has the highest percentage of slow-release or water-insoluble nitrogen, which is less likely to leach out or wash away.

3. Use organic fertilizers, which are slow-release and retain moisture.

4. Use fertilizers only twice a year, such as in the spring and fall, if at all.

5. Avoid applying fertilizer before a heavy rain, and water the grass lightly after applying it to "water-in."

6. Create a no-fertilizer buffer zone within 10 feet of the street.

7. Only use weed killer in affected areas, or pull weeds by hand.

8. Don't over-water your lawn; it makes grass more vunerable to weed encroachment and is less drought-resistant. Water your lawn no more than twice per week, and do it in the morning to avoid evaporation.

9. Keep your lawn 3 inches or higher, and use a mulching mower to reduce the amount of fertilizer needed.

10.  Water only your lawn, not the street or sidewalk.



The River Accord

The City of Jacksonville, the SJRWMD, the JEA, the Water Sewer Expansion Authority, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection have committed $700 million to the River Accord, a project designed to restore the health of the St. Johns River. Here are some basic elements of the cleanup plan:

1. Improve Water Quality - JEA has promised to invest $200 million over the next 10 years to retire six old-technology wastewater plants that became its property through utility acquisitions. In addition, it plans to upgrade five plants, some of which were built nearly 50 years ago, to perform advanced nitrogen removal. To reduce the use of water from the aquifer, JEA will increase the use of treated wastewater to provide non-potable water for things like irrigation. A major source of pollution comes from compromised septic tanks from 22 areas that have been identified by the Duval County Health Department as "septic tank failure areas." Currently, only new systems are being inspected as they're being installed, so the plan includes a provision to monitor older systems and take corrective enforcement action against owners with septic tanks that pollute. Most of the stormwater runs unimpeded right into the St. Johns River. The proposed solution is to create collection areas and to treat the stormwater by removing harmful agents before they're released in the river.

2. Create a Fertilizer Ordinance - Many private residential dwellers and caretakers of golf courses, parks, and apartment and condo complexes are applying fertilizers incorrectly. They use too much and apply the wrong types of fertilizers and chemicals, which eventually find their way into the river. By creating an ordinance that spells out what kind and how much fertilizers and pesticides can be applied, as well as educating the public, a major source of pollution could be reduced.

3. Monitor and Report - Faculty from the University of North Florida (UNF) are working to develop a wireless, real-time system for monitoring the turbidity of the water, which is a key indicator of water quality. This will augment the current network of water monitoring being done by the SJRWMD, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, NOAA and the city of Jacksonville. Currently, there's no reporting mechanism to provide information on the river's health, but a team of teachers from UNF and Jacksonville University plan to compile an annual report and issue a report card regarding this situation. - A. Jones