Approximately 15 volunteers will get their feet wet this Saturday, May 21, participating in a restoration project organized by the Kings Bay Advisory Group.
The volunteers will plant a variety of emergent, or water, plants along the Kings Bay shoreline. The goal of this project is to improve the habitat of the hardened shoreline, which will reduce wave action and lead to better water clarity and quality. By planting approximately 160 native plants, volunteers also hope to add natural habitat for birds and juvenile fish. The plant buffers may also help keep mats of filamentous algae, such as lyngbya, away from the shore.
Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. at the 3rd Street Pier in Crystal River. The pier is located at the end of 3rd Street, west of U.S. 19. If you would like to join in and volunteer, it is recommended that you wear sturdy shoes or water shoes and bring your own hat, gloves, sunscreen, insect repellent, digging tools and water.
Volunteers will also take the District’s Watershed Pledge, which was created to encourage people to make a commitment to protecting their watershed.
The public outreach subcommittee of the Kings Bay Advisory Group organized this project. The Kings Bay Advisory Group is an interagency/public citizen group formed to improve communication between resource management partners and to coordinate restoration and management activities. The subcommittee includes representatives from Citrus County, Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Program, Kings Bay Association, the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management program.