Three Sisters Springs Is Being Rebuilt for the Months Without Manatees
October 22, 2026
October 22, 2026
"The idea, especially from a tourism standpoint and the city's standpoint, is to build tourism outside of manatee season so there are other things to do and enjoy out there," Gerry Mulligan told the Citrus County Chronicle. Mulligan is president of the Crystal River Area Council and a member of the Friends of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge.
That one sentence explains the construction fencing you've been walking past at Three Sisters Springs since summer. The work is scheduled around the manatees. Crews stop when the animals arrive and start again after they leave. Most of what gets built is meant for the rest of the year, when the springs don't have a crowd of gray backs to draw people in.
What looks like one big job is really two. The Chronicle describes them as separate projects with "different goals, funding sources and timelines."
| Federal boardwalk project | Friends amenities project | |
|---|---|---|
| Led by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Friends of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge |
| What it builds | Replaces the whole elevated boardwalk around the spring and rebuilds the retaining bulkhead | Two elevated observation platforms, a raised wildlife walkway, a youth fishing dock on Lake Crystal, a manatee release chute |
| Cost and funding | About $10.7 million in total, per the Chronicle, including $8.06 million from the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund and $1.89 million from other federal recreation sources and earlier project money | $25,000 from the City of Crystal River, $80,000 from the Citrus County Tourist Development Council, $50,000 raised by the Friends, the rest from private donors |
| Started | Beginning of July | A few weeks before the federal work |
The federal project is the urgent one. The Fish and Wildlife Service told the Chronicle that storms, tides and erosion had damaged the existing structure. Visitors climbing on the shoreline rocks had also knocked protective stone loose, which sped up erosion behind the retaining wall. The project scored 100 out of 100 in the agency's national ranking, and it's expected to clear more than $8 million in deferred maintenance.
For anyone in Crystal River, the funding detail matters. The Legacy Restoration Fund is paid for out of energy development revenue on federal lands and offshore waters, not local tax dollars. The Fish and Wildlife Service competes nationally for up to 5 percent of that money each year.
The first plan would have been much harder on the town. Mulligan told the Chronicle that the early idea was to "close the place down and spend a year rebuilding Three Sisters boardwalk, which would be horrible for all of us." Local advocates pushed for a phased approach. Crews rebuild one section at a time while the rest stays open, so the viewing areas remain usable.
Under that schedule, according to the Chronicle, the first phase runs until manatee season starts in November. Work then pauses so the springs are fully accessible through the winter, and the remaining phases pick up after April 1, 2027.
The two sources count the phases differently. The City of Crystal River's September 29, 2026 release calls Phase I about a third of the boardwalk and says Phase II will cover the remaining two-thirds. The Chronicle quotes Mulligan describing three phases. Both agree that the replacement is happening in sections and that the first section was still underway at the end of September.
The timing follows the refuge's standing calendar. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists manatee season as November 15 through March 31, when seven warm-water sanctuaries take effect. That gives the crews a set window to finish their first section before the busiest months begin.
As of this week, the City's Three Sisters boardwalk page says some sections are under construction and temporarily closed. It doesn't say which sections or for how long, so check that page before you bring out-of-town guests.
The rest of the winter routine stays the same:
This is where Mulligan's year-round goal shows up in actual structures. The City's September 29 release says the new pier at Lake Crystal has been put up and is nearly finished. A new viewing platform is also under construction along Magnolia Spring.
According to the Chronicle, the full Friends project includes:
Most of the list works without manatees. A fishing dock, a wetland walkway and a platform over the springs give people a reason to visit in May or August. The release chute is the exception, and it's built entirely around the animals. "Right now it's very awkward when SeaWorld or somebody like that releases a manatee," Mulligan told the Chronicle. "They kind of push them into Three Sisters, and we're actually going to build a specialized chute where they can very gently be placed into the chute and then into Three Sisters."
The refuge already connects to the rest of town. The Three Sisters shuttle runs continuously from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Its stops are the springs, the Visitor Center, Hunter Springs Park at 45 NE 3rd St., Town Square at 559 N Citrus Ave. and Heritage Village at 657 N Citrus Ave. The Three Sisters Springs Center is at 917 Three Sisters Springs Trail.
Two of those stops sit right on the stretch of Citrus Avenue that hosts downtown's fall and winter events. Here's what's on the City's calendar between now and the height of manatee season:
Stone Crab Jam lines up with the season. FWC lists Florida's stone crab harvest season as open October 15 through May 1, so the festival lands about three weeks into it.
The Florida Manatee Festival is set for January 16 and 17, 2027, in downtown Crystal River. The Citrus County Chamber of Commerce produces it. That puts it right in the middle of the November 15 to March 31 window, while the boardwalk work is on pause and the springs are open to manatee visitors.
After April 1, 2027, construction season comes back. The Chronicle reports that the remaining boardwalk sections will be rebuilt then. If the Friends' platforms, walkway and Lake Crystal dock are finished by then, next summer will be the first test of whether Three Sisters can draw visitors when the manatees are gone.
At Katie Spires, we love hearing which Crystal River spots our neighbors take visiting family to each winter, and Three Sisters is usually near the top of the list. If you have questions about life near Kings Bay, or friends who'd like to be closer to the springs, reach out anytime. Let's make your move together.
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