Surrounding the crystal waters of Three Sisters Springs, visitors can easily spot exposed tree roots and an eroded shoreline. The erosion has caused sediments to enter spring vents and trees to collapse. It has meant a loss of habitat and dangerous conditions for visitors.
That’s why the District will be restoring the shoreline around Three Sisters Springs. The project will start this month, and the District will host a meeting at Crystal River’s City Hall at 5:30 p.m. April 12 to provide more information.
The shoreline around the springs will be stabilized by filling undercut bank areas with soil bags and reinforcing the shoreline with limestone boulders. In addition, a variety of native wetland plants will be installed on the restored shoreline. These plants will provide additional shoreline stabilization, help reduce the impacts of stormwater runoff and improve the appearance of Three Sisters Springs.
Construction is expected to begin later this month and be complete before November 2016. For safety, the entire property and all access to the springs will be closed to the public during construction. Land access is closed starting today and spring access will be closed starting April 16.
The project will conclude before the start of manatee season and will not interfere with manatees seeking winter refuge in the springs.
The project is in partnership with the City of Crystal River, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Learn more about this project by visiting here. Special thanks to David Schrichte for providing the above video.