HOMOSASSA, Fla. — Some much needed work is being performed on the Homosassa River.

What You Need To Know

  • Restorative work is ongoing along the Homosassa River with dredging on the bottom of the river

  • Work is expected to be put on pause starting Wednesday for winter manatee season

  • Disturbing manatees can cause them to leave areas — potentially exposing them to low water temps that are harmful and even life-threatening

  • Those with the Homosassa River Restoration Project are hopeful of expanding work along the river through the winter months

For years, the Homosassa River Restoration Project has been in full swing, working to restore the river’s waters back to its beautiful blue color.

That work, however, will need to be put on pause starting Wednesday as that marks winter manatee season.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says manatees are searching for warmer waters to help them survive this time of year. Manatees generally find warmer temps in freshwater springs, like Homosassa Springs.

Disturbing manatees can cause them to leave these areas, potentially exposing them to low water temps that are harmful and even life-threatening. Work outside of these zones should be minimized unless approved by agencies.

It’s that approval that those working behind the scenes are seeking.

From the comfort of his own backyard, Steve Minguy watches as work on the Homosassa River unfolds.

“We decided to do an investigation and found out that over the years, and for decades, this river has been in decline,” Minguy said.

Minguy has been living on the river for the last 11 years. Seeing the river in its current state sparked him to get involved.

“When your neighbors are telling you about all the blue crab, all the fish, and crystal-clear water that was right off their docks back in the day, I wanted those same things for me and my grandchildren,” says Minguy, president of the Homosassa River Restoration Project. “And right now, unless somebody did something, that wasn’t going to happen.”

What is happening is dredging on the bottom of the river, clearing sediment build-up and algae and preparing for newly planted grass.

“It’s very important that we can continue our work 12 months out of the year,” Minguy said. “It keeps the algae at bay.”

About a mile or two just up the road is where the river material taken from the river ends up.

“We’re at our de-watering site,” says Jessica Mailliez, senior environmental manager for Sea & Shoreline. “This is where all of the material — the muck, the algae — comes to be processed.”

The water from the river goes through a separating process. First, running through large cans and then into a solution.

“Eventually it lands in a geotextile bag,” says Mailliez. “That bag has tiny holes in it, so the heavy material sinks to the bottom and the clean water flows out the top.”

That leads to crystal clear water gushing out of the enormous bags.

“Sometimes, as the bag fills, these particles get trapped inside those tiny pores and in order for them to release those pores — that’s what they do,” said Mailliez. “They smack the bag.”

The bags — packed with nutrient rich, leftover material — are then shipped off to a local farm where it’s used as fertilizer, making for a full circle process.

“Without a healthy river, none of this exists,” says Minguy. “Citrus County is very tourist oriented, and it’s extremely important when our tourists come to visit here, that they have the clear water and the manatees that they come here to expect to see.”

That is why Minguy says he’d like to see work continue even throughout the winter.