Artesian Spring
Citrus County
Summary of Features
- Scale - 3rd magnitude (estimated)
- Scenery - poor
- How Pristine? - flowing well, enclosed as hotel swimming pool
- Swimming - fair-good
- Protection - unknown
- Crowds - heavy on warm weekends
- Access - private, only for use by hotel guests
- Facilities - fine
- Safety - very good
- Scuba - no
- Cost - must stay at adjacent hotel
Directions
At King’s Bay Lodge in Crystal River. See map for location.
Spring Description
The spring is an artesian, flowing well* used to fill a hotel swimming pool in a NE corner of King’s Bay. The pool is rectangular and about 15 by 40 feet. Water in the pool is clear, and there were plants (either elodea or hydrilla) and rocks along the bottom. The maximum depth is about 8 feet. There was no visible boil, and the authors could not determine the location of the flow point. The spring is partially canopied by a large oak tree on one end and additional trees on the other end, where there is an outflow point. One side of the concrete pool wall also serves as a retaining wall to the adjoining King’s Bay. The King’s Bay Hotel is immediately upland from the pool
Use/Access
- Access is restricted to patrons of the King’s Bay Lodge. The pool is used for swimming and has a slide.
- The pool may be viewed from King’s Bay, as canoers can paddle right up to the pool/retaining wall and peer over into it.
Springiana
The authors were informed by a nearby tour guide that this spring was a flowing well. It is possible that the site is a "regular" spring and that the tour guide was mistaken.
Personal Impressions
The site is interesting and worth a look, regardless of whether it
is an actually spring or just a flowing well. It is one of the few
springs in King's Bay where one can actually see the bottom clearly.
Nearby Springs
- Other Crystal River/King’s Bay Springs (Catfish, Gator [or Gator Hole], Grand Canyon, Hunter, Idiot’s Delight, Independence, Jurassic, King’s, Little Hidden, Mullet’s Gullet, Three Sisters, Unnamed Banana Island Springs, Unnamed Spring Boils)
- Homosassa Springs Group
- Chassahowitzka Springs Group
- Rainbow Springs Group
Other Nearby Natural Features
- Rainbow Springs State Park
- Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge
- Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge
- Withlacoochie State Forest