SPRING HILL, Fla. — There’s a troubling trend here in Hernando County. Five manatees have turned up dead in just 36 days along the Mud River in Spring Hill.
The year before, officials say only one manatee died in all of the county. Those who live along the river say of course they are saddened by the death of the manatees, but they are not surprised.
For neighbors Lucas Johns, Lynne Herrick, and Stephanie Kozuch, life along the river is better when the wildlife comes out to play.
“You stand here long enough you’ll spot them,” Johns said.
“A lot of times you can tell it's them because there will be circles in the water,” Herrick added.
“Yes, every time I see a manatee I’m amazed,” Kozuch said.
But these neighbors say the play on the river has become too much after five manatees were found dead all in just a little over a month. One of them was pregnant with a calf.
“There isn’t any seagrass. Turns out that’s how the manatees died,” Herrick said.
Necropsy reports obtained by 10 Investigates show all the manatees died with macroalgae in their gastrointestinal tract. Florida Fish and Wildlife officers believe the sudden diet shift gave them a GI issue.
“They are going to eat what they can find. The Weeki Wachee has been depleted of the seagrass,” Kozuch said.
“I’ve been here my entire life and have never seen anything like that and look around and was like what has changed,” Johns said.
They say what has changed is the number of people using the rivers. They say Airbnb’s popping up along the Weeki Wachee and Mud Rivers mean more people and more boats are using the water ways. There’s also a new hotel along the river as well as more boats and an airboat going in daily.
“It’s the wild west. You have a 1–2-bedroom home with 10-11 beds. Boats full of people we didn’t have before,” Johns said.
The neighbors believe all the activity is causing the manatees to move over to the Mud River looking for food because there’s little to no sea grass along the Weeki Wachee.
According to the FWC’s website, propeller scarring can cause damage to seagrass beds.
“I’d like to see protection preservation implementing the rules on the book. There’s so many rules on the book that’s not being enforced,” Kozuch said.
The concerns over the manatee deaths were also a topic of discussion at a February county commission meeting. Hernando County Commissioner John Allocco agreed to talk with 10 Investigates.
“We want there to be the ability for these two groups to be able to both spend time on the river,” he said. “I believe that the only way we’re going to be able to do that is to enact a no-wake zone.”
Both the commissioner and those who live here say enforcement is key, but they rarely see patrols out on the water. The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office tells 10 Investigates they are budgeted for just three marine deputies.
“I would love to see Florida Fish and Wildlife get the resources they need to do more enforcement on these rivers,” Allocco said.
Allocco adds that he knows that would mean more funding and even conversations with state lawmakers.
“Love to see one less sales tax holiday to get more resources on the river,” Allocco said.
We also asked him about more regulations for Airbnbs and businesses popping up along the river.
“It’s been very difficult to add requirements. The ability to add any regulations to short-term rentals has been nearly impossible. I think no matter what the county does, it's going to require enforcement to really focus on education” Allocco said.
The county commissioner says education really is key so that people can enjoy this river for years to come. Take a look at this chart from the Southwest Florida Water Management District that shows you how much seagrass is dying in Weeki Wachee between 2016 to 2020.
Neighbors Johns, Herrick, and Kozuch tell us they’d also like to see a seagrass replanting like what is happening up in Citrus County on the Crystal River. But all agree, there’s no point if it may just die anyway if those using the river aren’t following the rules already in place.