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Lots of redfish activity in Mosquito and Indian River lagoons

18.05.12

If you restore Fanning Springs to its historic depths by removing sediment, more manatees will be able to use this shimmering spot on the Suwannee River. That was the idea behind the project to clear the bottom of Fanning Springs, and it quickly came true.

“As the project was going on, more and more manatees were showing up at Fanning Springs. We went from two to four manatees to eight or 12,” said Ron Mezich, who works on manatees and aquatic habitat at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “Fanning Springs may feel cold to us, but it is 70 to 72 degrees, and for manatees in wintertime, it is a warm-water refuge. Manatees can’t survive for long in water below 68 degrees.”

The recently completed project to remove sediment from the springs was a cooperative effort among the FWC, The Nature Conservancy and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which manages Fanning Springs State Park.

From early November 2011 through early January 2012, underwater cleaning of the springs was done by a scuba diver using a hand-held device resembling a giant vacuum cleaner. Hand cleaning was the preferred method to minimize disturbance to the springs’ waters and preserve any artifacts found in the removed sediment. Park staff and volunteers sifted through more than 500 cubic yards of removed sediment and found boards and an ash rake from a former sawmill on the site, as well as coins like a liberty half-dollar and buffalo nickel.

Source: NSBNEWS.net