"P" stands for phosphorus—the most problematic pollutant in Lake Champlain and in many other lakes in Vermont and northern New York. Phosphorus is a nutrient found in most lawn and garden fertilizers. When fertilizers run off from lawns and into lakes, they feed unsightly, smelly and potentially toxic algal blooms.

Make a Switch! It's easy for home owners and businesses to switch to P-free (phosphorus-free) lawn fertilizers to reduce urban sources of phosphorus. Doing so may help reduce algal growth in your favorite lake—and you can still have a beautiful lawn!

• Lawn care tips for green lawns, not green lakes >>
• Where to buy P-free fertilizers >>
• Learn more about phosphorus runoff >>
  

Photos: Metro Watershed Partners