Winter Manatee Sanctuaries Take Effect This Sunday
Lecanto, FL · November 13, 2026
Keep a sweater handy as low gray clouds settle in today. Between opening night theater downtown and a massive festival weekend ahead, there is plenty to plan for.
The Lead
This Sunday, November 15, marks the official start of Citrus County’s winter manatee season, bringing both a surge of gentle giants and strict seasonal water protections through March 31. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will activate seven federal warm-water sanctuaries across Kings Bay, shutting those designated resting basins to all waterborne craft, swimmers, and paddleboards. In Three Sisters Springs, paddlecraft are entirely prohibited for the winter, leaving the boardwalk as the premier land vantage point while guided eco-tours take to surrounding open waters. With Gulf temperatures cooling, boaters should expect strictly enforced idle-speed zones across local channels to protect arriving herds. Anyone planning to get on the water or host visiting family should reserve guided boat tours well in advance as weekend outfitters fill quickly. Check local ramp signage before unhooking your trailer.
Local Pulse
North Lecanto Highway Signal Design Advances Roads Planners are finalizing designs for a new traffic signal at County Road 491 and Hampshire Boulevard to ease congestion.
County Early Tax Discount Deadline Approaching City Hall Citrus County property owners can trim four percent off their annual tax bill by submitting payments before November 30.
Lecanto Veteran Honored on County Wall Community Retired Army aviator John K. McGee of Lecanto joined four other county leaders inducted into the new memorial wall.
Today's Outlook
- High 69°F · Low 51°F — Overcast
- Grab a light jacket this morning as cool clouds keep the afternoon feeling brisk.
What's On Around Town
Today
Shawn Manley Acoustic Set KC Wine Bistro (564 N Citrus Ave), Crystal River, 6:00–9:00 PM Unwind with live acoustic music and local bistro bites downtown.
A Nice Family Gathering Valerie Theatre (207 Courthouse Sq), Inverness, 7:00 PM · Paid Opening night of a witty comedy about eccentric family reunions.
Tomorrow
51st Annual Homosassa Arts, Crafts & Seafood Festival Homosassa Civic Club (5530 S Mason Creek Rd), Homosassa, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM · $5
National Estuaries Day Open House Marine Science Station (3266 N Sailboat Ave), Crystal River, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM · Free
Small Town Saturday Night Courthouse Square, Inverness, 5:00–9:00 PM · Free
Sunday
Harvest Day Riverbend Cattle Company (11225 E Bushnell Rd), Floral City, 9:00 AM–2:00 PM · Paid
51st Annual Homosassa Arts, Crafts & Seafood Festival Homosassa Civic Club (5530 S Mason Creek Rd), Homosassa, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM · $5
A Nice Family Gathering Valerie Theatre (207 Courthouse Sq), Inverness, 2:00 PM · Paid
Spotlight & Story
- Fairmount
- Long before medical clinics and shopping plazas bordered State Road 44, this stretch was the bustling 1885 settlement of Fairmount. Seventy-five residents tended orange groves beside a steam sawmill, blacksmith, and hotel until the devastating 1895 freeze wiped the town out.
Lecanto Daily Digest — compiled from local sources every morning. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.
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