Manatees at Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River
Saturday was the last open house at Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River for this manatee season.
And we were there because it is such a great spot to see manatees and it was free! The park is usually only open to one tour operator but three times a year there is an open house and we try to make it to a couple of the events. We went to the open house in October and took son Darin and his fiancée Kathryn. This time our little 4-year-old grandson Jack reluctantly went along. (He really just wanted to go fishing with Grandpa off of our dock.)
After a week of chilly temperatures, Saturday was a pleasant spring day. Such a nice change. We arrived at the parking area about 10:30 am and there were already a couple of dozen people in line for the bus. But the buses run non-stop so it wasn’t long before we were at the boardwalk.
There were a LOT of other manatee lovers at the park!
Usually the sanctuary is open to swimmers but it was closed due to the cold weather and the high number of manatees so paddlers and swimmers were limited to the area outside the buoys.That dark blob on the right of the photo is dozens of manatees.
This narrow section is where the manatees can go in and out of Three Sisters Springs. When the spring is open to the public, swimmers also use this inlet.An example of the bank erosion.
There were a few tents set up. Not as many as the October Open House.One of the many buses that provided transport.And this is the line that greeted us when we got off of our bus!Grandpa, can we go home now?
For me, roughing it is staying at La Quinta and getting dinner at the Wendy’s drive through. Which we do because we travel with a 13 pound pouch who has complete control over our life.
But I think the idea of hiking is wonderful.
Until I start planning on getting some hiking boots, tucking my pants into those boots so I don’t get ticks, putting that wide brimmed hat on so nothing falls in my hair and then there’s all those creepy crawly and biting creatures that can’t be avoided.
But last week we headed to Shamrock Pub with some friends for some wonderfully “bad” food and on the way back our host decided to make a little detour to the Withlacoochee State Forest Mutual Mine Recreation Area. Since we were driving right by it anyhow.
And It was a gorgeous sunny day in the high 60s which was perfect for a little stroll.
And it was quite beautiful so I should probably actually do some hiking. Someday. When I get hiking boots.
And since I just happened to have a camera with me, here’s some photos…
On our continuing quest to understand how we are affecting our springs and aquifer, Terry and I headed up to Yankeetown Saturday morning to hear a presentation by Dr. Bob Knight, founder of the Florida Springs Institute, at the Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve, Ellie Schiller Education Center.
I posted a few weeks ago about a Friends of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Complex meeting where the featured speaker was Chris Anastasiou, Ph.D., a chief scientist and the leader of the Springs Team of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFMD). His presentation was entirely scientific and based on data that SWFMD has collected over a number of years. What struck me was a slide that showed that nitrates are highest at the spring vent. As the water flows out to the Gulf of Mexico, the nitrates are diluted. Nitrates grow plants and cause greening which accounts for the prevalence of lyngbya and other invasive plant species in Kings Bay.
Up until this point, I had believed our springs were being polluted mainly by the coastal areas so Dr. Anastasiou’s slide made me realize that responsibility lies beyond our region.
Dr. Knight’s presentation added some clarity to the issue. I’m oversimplifying this, but the aquifer is one big water-filled cave under the entire state. While we all effect the aquifer since we all use water, the main consumption is from agriculture and mining. Polk County actually pumps the most. In turn, fertilizer, which is mainly nitrogen, drains into the aquifer. So what happens in a distant county ends up in our springs and our kitchen faucet.
Dr. Bob Knight, founder of the Florida Springs Institute
According to Dr. Knight, the only way to fix this issue is to charge for water and also raise prices for fertilizer. While residents usually pay for water at the levels they use, agriculture does not. They also dump more fertilizer than necessary on their crops because it’s inexpensive then it ends up in the aquifer. Simple economics will fix the problem but that’s not going to happen without new legislation.
On our own part to help the springs, Dr. Knight suggests we use fertilizer sparingly and only use slow-release products, clean up spills, don’t fertilize before rain is predicted, conserve water, and contact our legislators to pass laws to protect our springs.
There were many more points that Dr. Knight covered which I do not have space to go into. If you ever get a chance to hear Dr. Knight speak, please go. He’s a very interesting and enlightening speaker.
I’m not a camper. 
