Coastal River Systems
Crystal River/ Kings Bay
Crystal River/Kings Bay is a complex network of more than 30 springs. The
discharge from this first magnitude spring system accounts for 99 percent of the fresh waterWater that is relatively free of salts. entering the 600-acre Kings Bay. Crystal River/Kings Bay is Florida’s second largest
springs system, discharging more than 975 cubic feet of water per second. Crystal River travels
north westward, in line with geologic fracture sets and fault lines, before entering the Gulf of
Mexico. See the page on Aquifers, and, Aquifers
/ Citrus County and, Aquifers / Geology.
Tributary Flows
Aerial photographs taken in the early 1970s clearly indicate that a source of water was
originally from the west as sheet flow from the wetlands, now known as Saint Martins Preserve.
Alluvial deposits reveal several paths of this flow. However, the building of SR 44 West, without
sufficient culverts, for all practical purposes has stopped that flow . See aerial photo and text on
the South Kings Bay page.
Cutting canals, dredging and filling in order to create residential properties of Crystal River
City, seriously diminished other wetland sheet flows. Extensive wetland forest was simply cleared
by drag-line and burned to make way for the housing in the southerly sections of Kings Bay.
However, additional tributaries conveying waters from the aquifer underground, issue from many
springs to make Crystal River/Kings Bay the largest spring fed estuarine waterway in the nation, and
most probably in the world.
Citrus County sits at the confluence of two principal water flows, originating from the
southeast in Polk County and from the northeast in Putnam County. Aquifer waters at higher pressures
flow to areas of lower pressures within the porous limestone rock formations ( known as artesian or
piezometric flows).
Also, as Florida emerged from the sea, and rocks were formed several million years ago, stress
caused fissures or fractures in the rocks. When the artesian flows encounter a fracture or set of
fractures, the water takes the path of least resistance and joins the direction of flow in the
fracture set. The fracture sets vary in direction and length, up to sixty miles long and occupy a
width up to a thousand feet and more.
These underground tributaries emerge to join surface waterways at spring vents. Tributaries can
join from various directions and deliver waters of differing quality depending upon the path taken
on the way by the tributary waters.
Tributaries often account for directional changes to the waterway. A main Crystal River (underground)
tributary from the southeast, issuing from some forty spring vents, accounts for the direction of
flow towards Bagley Cove (approximately SE to NW). A second tributary enters from the northeast by
way of Hunter Spring Run together with several nearby spring vents, causing a westerly change in
direction, assisted by an underground flow emerging in Bagley Cove. Tidal counter flows of the
Salt River cause a northerly change of direction. A big spring off of the Crystal River State
Archaeological Site encourages a more westerly flow. Kings Creek and Dolphin Creek cause a westerly
shift,after which the river straightens out to flow past Shell Island and out into the Gulf.
The image below shows photo lineaments derived from the aerial survey conducted in 1972/3,
confirming findings of Dr Vernon in 1951, and Dr Faulkner in 1973. The survey information was,
until very recently, lost to history. The paths of the lineaments have been affirmed by Latitude
and Longitude, computed with respect to lineaments and auto-plotting official database information
with respect to sinkhole and spring vent locations.
| Citrus County Fractures |
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The dark red SE to NW line represents the fracture indicated by Dr Vernon's research (probable
joint with parallel fracture sets to the SW shown as purple lines). The circles show spring positions (those for Crystal
River/Kings Bay are shown on the image below). The blue lines are
those lineaments with affirming physical features, as opposed to the white lines without them.
| Kings Bay Fractures |
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Again, circles show spring locations.
The SE to NW purple lines
(parallel to the Vernon fracture line, in dark red shown in 'Citrus County Fractures' above) encompass a major tributary underground flow, through fractures, into Kings Bay from spring vents.
The NE to SW light green and parallel blue line which connects from Rainbow River is suggested as a second fresh water tributary. The light green line passes through two Kings Bay springs and two sink holes (not shown) tends to confirm the path as a significant tributary of the river system. The parallel blue line passes through a number of spring vents in Kings Bay and Bubbling spring in Rainbow river, also six sink holes are located on the line.
The Water Management District plans to develop information to further qualify connecting paths. Work continues to
affirm additional fracture paths and conduit flows. Both Dr Vernon and Dr Faulkner emphasize the
need to protect these underground flows to preserve aquifer water quality.
Land-Use Changes and Impacts
Extensive dredge-and-fill activities beginning in the 1960s altered much of Kings Bay and
portions of the Crystal River shorelines. Numerous sea walls and dead-end canal systems were created
to provide residential and commercial boat access. These activities changed water circulation and
reduced the amount of natural wetlands. From 1970 to 2000, the
population of Citrus County grew from 19,196 to 118,085. Currently, forty percent of the
contributing watershed/springshed of Crystal River/Kings Bay is urbanized.
Recognizing the need to provide some protection of the waters, the state designated Crystal River/Kings
Bay as an Outstanding Florida Water in 1983. In 1989, the Southwest Florida Water Management
District (District) designated the area as a Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM)
Priority Water Body. A SWIM Plan was developed to identify management issues and actions necessary
to restore and protect Crystal River/Kings Bay. See the legal issues page.
Reportedly, more than $2million have been applied to these studies over several years to
produce conclusions that are questioned by those of the local community who regularly use the River
resources. Some conclusions, drawn from published information are given below for information.
Nutrient Management
Overall, nutrient levels in Kings Bay are considered relatively low compared to springs systems
in more developed areas of the Springs Coast region. However, current nutrient levels are probably
higher than levels before human development. Spring discharge, wastewaterUsed domestic water for disposal, from baths, showers, toilets, washing machines and the like
effluent, septic tank leaching and stormwater runoffThe topographic flow of water from precipitation to stream channels located at lower elevations. Occurs when the infiltration capacity of an area's soil has been exceeded. It also refers to the water leaving an area of drainage. Also called overland flow.
were identified in 1990 as major sources of nutrientsAny food, chemical element or compound an organism requires to live, grow, or reproduce.
by the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation and the Water Management District.
In 1992, the City of Crystal River (City) stopped discharging effluent from the wastewater
treatment plant into Kings Bay, which removed the second largest contributor of nutrientsAny food, chemical element or compound an organism requires to live, grow, or reproduce.
to the bay. Studies identified the largest contributor of nutrients to the bay as spring discharge
from the aquifer, containing residential and golf course turf fertilizers and septic tank leachateSolution containing material leached from a soil..
These nutrient sources continue to be addressed through stormwater improvement projects and
connection of residences to the City’s sanitary sewer system. However, recent experiments with
new technology hold promise of controlling limiting nutrients in the river run in the foreseeable
future.
Wildlife
In 1991, copper and other inorganic pollutantsSomething which contaminates (water, the air, etc.) with harmful or poisonous substances.
in bay sediments were analyzed to learn what, if any, health risks manatees faced from eating plants
grown in the affected sediments. It was thought that the elevated copper levels in the sediments
were not high enough to harm the manatees, and the other tested pollutants were below levels of
concern. In 1994, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service analyzed mercurya heavy, silver-white, metallic element, the only metal that is liquid at room temperature; also called quicksilver. A virulent poison, dangerous to handle and work with.
levels in largemouth bass in the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. Although not deadly to fish,
the mercury could hurt birds feeding on them. Current advisories, issued by the Florida Department
of Health, recommend that women of child-bearing age and young children avoid eating largemouth bass
caught in Crystal River/ Kings Bay and advise others to limit consumption to one fish per week
The increase of exotic aquatic plants has long been an issue in the bay. Beginning around 1960,
three nuisance aquatic plants have been introduced to Crystal River/Kings Bay: Hydrilla, Eurasian
milfoil and the algal Lyngbya sp.. Several studies over many years revealed:
Water Clarity and Sediments
Historically, crystal-clear water was a defining characteristic of the bay; however, substantial
declines in water clarity have reportedly occurred since the 1980s. Studies that evaluated water
clarity and sediments in Kings Bay, from 1989 to 2004, have provided the following information:
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In 1993, sediments were determined to be shallow and fine-grained and moderate in nutrient levels.
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Water clarity measured in 2003 – 2004 ranged from 4.8 to 75 feet and was not significantly
lower than it was 10 years earlier. Clarity is significantly higher near springs than other areas of
the bay.
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Open-water areas of the bay were flushed relatively quickly and flushing times were affected by
spring discharge.
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Factors affecting water clarity included dead and living microscopicToo small for human eyesight without employing a microscope
plants.
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Removal of sediments around Hunters Spring and Tarpon Hole did not result in long-term
improvement in water clarity.
Future District projects include an evaluation of changes in bay sediments since 1993 and an
effort to identify sources of chlorophyllGreen pigment found in plants and some bacteria used to capture the energy in light through photosynthesis.
in the bay. These projects, scheduled for initiation in 2005 and 2006, respectively, will determine
if sediments have increased in thickness or become more silty since 1993; if sediments are a source
of nutrientsAny food, chemical element or compound an organism requires to live, grow, or reproduce. to the bay; and which speciesA taxonomic category subordinate to a genus (or subgenus) and superior to a subspecies or variety, composed of individuals possessing common characters distinguishing them from other categories of individuals of the same taxonomic level.
In taxonomic nomenclature, species are designated by the genus name followed by a Latin or Latinized adjective or noun.
of algae in the bay is most common (and most likely to affect
water clarity).
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