Chassahowitzka River facts for kids

The Chassahowitzka River is a beautiful river in Citrus County, Florida. It gets its water from natural springs. This river is about 5 miles (8 kilometers) long. It is a safe home for many animals, including hundreds of types of birds like the bald eagle. It's also a common place for the West Indian manatee to find shelter.

In 1941, a large area of about 31,000 acres around the river became the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. This area includes saltwater creeks, freshwater streams, and forests called hammocks. The river is easy to reach by boat from a public boat ramp. This ramp is near a campground that shares the river's name. The name "Chassahowitzka" comes from an old Indian word meaning "land of hanging pumpkins." This refers to wild pumpkins that used to grow along the riverbanks.

The river starts at Chassahowitzka Spring. This is a very large spring that you can see from the campground dock. There are also smaller springs nearby. Some of these smaller springs are connected by underwater caves. People who like to snorkel can explore these caves. It's important to be very careful when diving in these caves.

Further downstream, other freshwater streams join the Chassahowitzka River. As the river flows towards the Gulf of Mexico, its fresh water mixes with salt water. This creates areas called brackish creeks and bays. These areas are great for fishing! You can often catch fish like spotted seatrout, redfish, or common snook. Other common fish in the river include striped mullet. You can often see schools of them swimming in the clear water or even jumping out! Blue crabs are also common and are often caught by local fishermen.

You'll also see many types of birds, like different herons and egrets, including the great blue heron. Sometimes, you might spot a large alligator, though they usually stay away from the springs and boats. The river has some hidden rocks, so boaters need to be careful, especially when going fast outside the main channel.

There are some privately owned cabins along the outer part of the river, near an area called "Buzzard Bay." There's also a place called Dog Island, which is a recreation area. It has a restroom and a dock. It's located off the main river channel, just before John's Island and the Gulf.

Gallery

• 
• 
• 

  A friendly grackle, on the way to Buzzard Bay

• 

  Dog Island Recreational Area

• 

  A view from Tom's Cabin showing a neighboring cabin

• 

  Sunfish and pilchards inhabiting Beard Creek, a location now well known to weekend canoers, but at one time was less traveled

• 

  A striped mullet caught by cast netting on the river

• 

  Manatee speed zones run from the mouth of Buzzard Bay until John's Island during the summer

• 

  Local boys being pulled behind a well boat near "Baldies"

• 
•