Crystal River Stone Crab Jam Festival
Saturday November 15, 2008
4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Join Us.
This community event will raise funds to put Three Sisters Springs into public ownership.
For more information visit: www.stonecrabjam.com
or
www.savethreesisters.org
Three Sisters Springs is a very special place and is perhaps the last remaining privately held "urban spring" property in Florida.
As with any privately held spring property in Florida, conservation and development are both possibilities.
Miami businessman Harvey Goodman bought the 58-acre parcel 27 years ago. He acquired the land under the springs and installed pilings to block large boats, but still allowed manatees, canoes, kayaks and swimmers to enter. That greatly reduced boat engine oil and gas contamination and prevented boat prop dangers to manatees and swimmers. Enforcing the private owner's right of no upland trespassing also reduced the damage to the spring's shorelines and the litter left in and around the springs from careless visitors.
Over the years the state has considered buying the land that surround the springs for preservation. There have also been discussions of an easement around the springs. Officials have also talked about trying to find grants from state agencies or private groups to take control of additional land to widen this buffer zone.
In 2005, a group of investors, Three Sisters Holdings, LLC acquired the property. The owners appreciate this unique setting and have been in close contact with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) staff about the manatee sanctuary there. The owners have given USFWS valuable upland access to monitor the thousands of ecotour swimmers and divers who visit. Doing so allows the agency to better monitor and protect the manatees and the springs. Prior to that USFWS enforcement officers had to make their way through Kings Bay during regular monitoring tours or when respond to citizen complaints.