The Chassahowitzka River is a spring-fed river located in southwestern Citrus County, Florida . The 5-mile-long (8 km) river is home to hundreds of bird species, including the bald eagle , and serves as a common refuge for the West Indian manatee . In 1941, approximately 31,000 acres (13,000 ha) of its saltwater creeks , freshwater tributaries , and hardwood hammocks were designated as Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge . The river is accessible by boat from a nearby public boat ramp located at a campground that also bears its Indian name which means "land of hanging pumpkins"—a reference to a wild variety that once grew along its banks.
5-535: Chassahowitzka may refer to: The Chassahowitzka River , a spring-fed river located in southwestern Citrus County, Florida The Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge , part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located on the west coast of Florida Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
10-441: A few. Other river staples river include striped mullet , which can be seen in schools through the clear water or at times leaping out of the water, and the blue crab which is often netted or trapped by local fishermen. It is very common to see several species of herons and egrets, including the great blue heron as well as the occasional large alligator , although they are often seen some distance from springs and boats. The river
15-432: The river is Chassahowitzka Spring , a first-magnitude spring visible from the campground dock. A group of smaller sister springs are located in a creek just upstream from the main vent. Several of these sister springs are interconnected via underwater caves that snorkelers can dive through while holding their breath. However, great care must be taken when diving through these caves, as there have been at least 4 drownings in
20-485: The title Chassahowitzka . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chassahowitzka&oldid=587917333 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Chassahowitzka River The headwater of
25-526: The underwater tunnels and caves since 1989, the most recent occurring in 2011. Further downstream, similar freshwater tributaries feed into the Chassahowitzka River, some of which mix with salt water as the river weaves its way toward the Gulf. This creates brackish creeks and bays, where it is quite common to catch fish species such as spotted seatrout , redfish , or common snook to name just
#614385