City of Sauk Centre

Lawn Care Tips and Wellhead Protection

With spring here, homeowners are looking forward to working outdoors on their lawns and gardens. While we all want a nice green lawn, how we manage fertilizers, herbicides or other chemicals around the home can have detrimental affects on both surface and ground water resources.

In an effort to protect the City Wells and the community drinking water supply, the City of Sauk Centrehas implemented a Wellhead Protection Plan. Due to local geology conditions and the vulnerable nature of the shallow groundwater aquifer used as the source of drinking water for the community, property owners are encouraged to use best management practices when using lawn care products and chemicals around your home. Lawn care products such as fertilizers can impact groundwater in several ways.

First, fertilizers can enter groundwater directly due to excessive application rates which will result in some of the nutrients applied leaching through the soil at a faster rate than the plants can take them up. Planning ahead and timing the fertilizer application for when the lawn is actively growing and there is less of a threat of heavy precipitation will allow the nutrients more time to bind to the soil and be taken up by your lawn. Similarly, other chemicals used around the yard such as herbicides and pesticides should be used sparingly, at the right time of year and at the ratesrecommended by the manufacturer.

The second way over application of fertilizers and chemicals on your lawn can impact groundwater results from surface water run-off to the city storm sewer. The city storm water collectors you see along your street collect surface water run-off and discharge the water to the SaukRiver and SaukLake through a series of pipes and outfalls under the city streets. The most obvious and direct impact is on the surface water quality of the SaukRiver and SaukLake. However, the shallow aquifer and public water supply wells used by the City of Sauk Centre receive some recharge from the river and lake based upon research and information contained in the city wellhead protection plan. Below is an illustration showing how fertilizer and contaminated run-off can enter the SaukRiver and SaukLake from a storm water collector.

If you have questions about the City of Sauk Centre’sdrinking water supply or wellhead protection efforts contact Paul Hoeschen or Glenn Bauer (320) 352-6538.

Lawn Care Tips:

Here are some tips for you to consider in the management of your lawn that helps protect your community’s drinking water supply and the water quality of the SaukRiver and SaukLake.

  1. Do not apply fertilizer to frozen ground. If you plan to apply fertilizer to your lawn this spring, wait until the grass starts growing before applying.
  1. Have your soil tested and follow soil test recommendations. Soil tests are available through your local Co-op or University of Minnesota Extension Service.
  1. While it is highly recommended to soil test, a good rule of thumb is to never apply more than 1lb. of nitrogen per1,000 square feet of lawn in a single application. In lighter texture soils, reduce your application rate to .5 or .25 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet to minimize nitrogen loss.
  1. Fill granular fertilizer spreaders on a hard surface where spills are easy to clean up.
  1. When mowing, keep grass clippings on your lawn as they also provide nutrients. NEVERmow or sweep grass clippings into the city streets or dispose of them in the street or storm sewer.

For more information about lawn care practices and drinking water protection, go to:

  1. MN Dept. of Agriculture:
  2. U of M, Extension Service:
  3. MN Dept. of Health: