Committed to conserve, protect, and restore Florida’s distinctive natural resources and quality of life for future generations.
Before & After Restoration Efforts
RESTORE
Our Kings Bay Restoration Project is actively restoring acres of water habitat each year. Our goal: 92.4 acres restored by 2023.
PROTECT
We share how our marine ecosystem must be helped to thrive. We support both marine life and the lives of people who share this resource.
ADVOCATE
We promote science-based approaches to improve Florida waters. We lead efforts to optimize restoration, secure funding, and overcome obstacles to maintaining sustainable aquatic ecosystems.
Growing and Planting Eelgrass
The ability to transform an algae-based aquatic ecosystem into a plant-based system is the key to making Crystal River crystal clear. Eelgrass is vital to the health of our river. Interested in how it's done?
Scalloping in Crystal River
In the summer, tourists flood to Crystal River to spend their days scalloping in the Gulf of Mexico, but due to over-catching and degrading water quality, the number of bay scallops has greatly decreased over the past ten years.
Sawgrasses and Salinity
Species diversity in sawgrass is limited, but it fosters lots of life. Typically, alligators use sawgrass to nest. Sawgrasses not only provide habitat, but they also provide a place of refuge for any animal trying to escape the Florida sun or a pursuing predator. One species I didn’t expect to see were barnacles on my dock posts. Due to the rising salinity levels of Crystal River, the once freshwater part of King’s Bay I live on has become salty enough to support barnacles and other, more dangerous, saltwater species.
The Word Around Town
Save Crystal River has been instrumental in raising awareness on improving our water quality and keeping our community winsome for our residents and visitors. We are blessed to have them working with us.
This process of vacuum, clean, plant, and protect is a proven success.The return of grass beds, many species of fish, and the lyngbya-free oxygenated water that attracts them, is an environment that will yield dividends for Citrus County and it’s residents for decades to come.
Save Crystal River’s work is a cross between heavy construction and aquaculture. It’s amazing what they are achieving and the difference it makes to our community.
Save Crystal River provides an outstanding example of how a public-private partnership can accomplish much more than either could alone. This partnership is reclaiming Kings Bay one step at a time.
All I can say is WOW. I live on a portion of the Crystal River that has been very positively impacted by the work completed by SAVE CRYSTAL RIVER. What was once covered in Lyngbya and sludge is now covered in Rock Star eel grass. The water has become much clearer and many different species of fish have returned. I will say it again WOW! Keep up the good work!
I’ve been fortunate enough to grow up on Kings Bay and see the changes happen over the years. This Project initiated by SCR is by far the single most improvement of the Nature Coast. I got to enjoy the water sports and fishing as a kid, and now my family can see what I was lucky enough to enjoy. Thank You SCR!
The work that Save Crystal River is doing in cleaning up our river is wholeheartedly supported by the Chamber. Restoring our waterways is not only the right thing to do from an environmental standpoint, but for economic reasons as well.
