Additional Sponsors

Friends of the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge

The owner/developers of Three Sisters are pursuing building a gated residential community around the springs but have also stated a willingness to sell the springs and land for conservation.

Three Sisters Springs is a complex of three spring areas, with many vents and sand boils that help feed Kings Bay, the headwaters of Crystal River, in Citrus County, Florida. These springs also constitute one of the most important natural warm-water refuges for the endangered Florida manatee.

The mouth of the Three Sisters run is blocked by concrete posts to prevent boat access; only swimmers, canoers, and kayakers can enter. The land around the springs is private and posted and much of it has been extensively dredged to allow homes to be built along the channels and have access to King's Bay.

The Three Sisters Springs represent the last clear and pristine water in an area that has rapidly become foul with pollution, run-off, exotics, and algae blooms.

If the City of Crystal River is able to raise enough money to purchase the Three Sisters Springs property some of the plans include:

• An environmental education center and visitor center for Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge
• Interpretive kiosks
• Land based manatee viewing platforms
• Hiking and bicycling trails
• Restoration of part of the property back to cypress forest and wetlands to help restore natural water filtration
• Improvement of lake Linda as wildlife habitat including the possible creation of a small impoundment for wading bird, waterfowl and shorebird use.
• A unique state of the art spring wildlife viewing station which allows the general public to view manatees, fish and the springs in a rich way without manatee disturbance