Saving Citrus County’s Natural Resources

Citrus 20/20 has been advocating for Citrus County’s waterways since 1996, annually hosting Save Our Waters Week to promote environmental education and awareness.

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Save Our Waters Week bridges the gap between Citrus County citizens who love their waterways and local leaders ready to take action. Lace Blue-McLean, chairperson for Citrus 20/20, Inc.’s Save Our Waters Committee, has been involved with the event for about 11 years.

“The ultimate goal is to keep our waterways clean. It started off with a one-day event cleanup—Citrus County had partnered with them [the Ocean Conservancy] 20-something years ago in doing this once a year. It’s an Adopt-A-Shore program. Over the years, it has evolved into a weeklong educational component, offering free kayak tours and presentations to educate the community on the importance of keeping our waterways and springs clean,” she explains.

By Katie McPherson

In 2015, a total of 1,269 people participated in Save Our Waters Week events throughout the week. The cleanup efforts removed 6,268 pounds of waste and debris from Citrus County’s waterways, which is no small impact.

There will be volunteer cleanups to kick off the week followed by appreciation cookouts. Next come boat tours and kayak tours to get guests out on the water as well as presentations by local leaders, such as Save Crystal River’s Executive Director Gary Kuhl on the initiative to restore Kings Bay.

“It’s a great program,” Lace says. “Folks from other counties come and participate with us. Ocean Conservancy has other counties that participate in it, but I think we’re the only one that really has the weeklong event attached to it. Our county and our community have always been strong advocates for our natural resources, so, if anything, this event keeps that awareness up. We rally around not only people in need but also issues of importance to our county.”

When asked which event she looks forward to most, Lace can’t choose just one.

“The one I’m always excited about is our High School Environmental Jeopardy because they take it so seriously! We also have three or four presentations this year, and I’m excited about all of them. There are some really dynamic speakers.”

› Cleanup volunteers should register at citrusbocc.com/waterres/conservation no later than September 8. To attend featured events, contact each event leader directly. Contact information is listed on the Featured Activities schedule. › Visit citrusbocc.com/waterres/conservation for event schedules and more information.