Column: From leaf to reef: Managing nutrient runoff from your yard

TIMES RECORD • July 30, 2026

This is the season when lawns get the most feeding, spraying and watering — and not all of it stays put. Some travels downhill into a storm drain, a creek, a river and eventually the ocean. Too much nitrogen or phosphorus feeds algae that overgrow and smother corals. A wise yard care plan is a step on the Water pathway, and it touches Habitat, too. ~ Fred Horch and Peggy Siegle, Sustainable Practice