What is "crystal river"

Crystal River may refer to the following places in the United States of America:

• Crystal River, Florida, a small city in Florida
• Crystal River (Florida), a river near the small city of the same name
• Crystal River (Colorado), a tributary of the Roaring Fork River in Colorado
• Crystal River (Michigan), a stream located in northern Michigan's Lower Peninsula
• Crystal River 3 Nuclear Generating Station in Florida
• Crystal River Energy Complex in Florida
• Crystal River, a river and tributary of the Tomorrow/Waupaca River, in Central Wisconsin

The Crystal River is a tributary of the Roaring Fork River, approximately 40 mi (64 km) long, in western Colorado in the United States. It drains a glacial valley, called the Valley of the Coal Miners, south of Carbondale which was historically known as a center of coal mining in southwestern Colorado. It rises in northern Gunnison County in the Elk Mountains on the north side of Schofield Pass, passing through the ghost town of Crystal City, still inhabited by a few summer residents. It then flows north past Marble, then into Pitkin County past Redstone. It joins the Roaring Fork below Carbondale. State Highway 133 follows the river along much of its route north of Marble.

From Crystal City to Marble the river flows through the Crystal River Canyon, a narrow valley with numerous snowslide runs, rockfalls, and other hazardous terrain. Although it is locally known as a fishing and hiking attraction the unpaved and largely un-maintained mining road, designated Gunnison County Road 3 on Mapquest, is nearly impassable to vehicles other than ATVs and off-road motorcycles. A four-wheel-drive jeep tour is operated out of Marble, but only operates during the summer when the road is not blocked by snow, mud, or rock slides.

Crystal River is a very short river in Citrus County, Florida, flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. It is just seven miles (eleven kilometers) long, and has a drainage basin of five square miles (thirteen square kilometers), joining Kings Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. The river's significance is in the thirty natural springs that add an average of 300 million gallons (1,135 million liters) of warm water to the river every day. These springs include Three Sisters Springs.

The warm water in the river attracts large numbers of manatees, and Kings Bay, at the head of the river and the location of 28 of the springs, harbors approximately 350 manatees during the winter. Some biologists consider Crystal River to be the most important refuge for manatees in the United States.

In the first half of the 19th century Crystal River was known as Weewahiiaca, believed to be from the Creek language words wewa, meaning "water", and haiyayaka, meaning "clear". The city of Crystal River is located on the river. The Crystal River Energy Complex, which consists of four coal-burning power plants and the Crystal River 3 Nuclear Generating Station, is located near the mouth of the river. The Crystal River Archaeological State Park is located on the river.

The Crystal River is a stream located in the southwest section of Leelanau County in northern Michigan's Lower Peninsula, flowing from Glen Lake through sections of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore into Lake Michigan just north of the small town of Glen Arbor. Although the straight-line distance between Glen Lake and Lake Michigan is only , the river meanders through swamp lands for more than 5 times that distance.

The river is popular with kayakers, rafters and canoe enthusiasts, with two outfitters located in the village of Glen Arbor. For the most part, the depth of the river is no more than , and the width averages with a sandy bottom, making it ideal for families, beginning canoeists and kayakers. There are a few portages where the river flows through drainage pipes under the County Road. There is one flood control dam on the river, just past its source on Glen Lake.

The Crystal is also popular with fly fishermen and has a large population of brook and rainbow trout. The river is also a run for lake trout and salmon species coming from Lake Michigan into Glen Lake.

Numerous cottages are located along the lower reaches of the river from Glen Arbor to its mouth emptying into Lake Michigan. Groves of cedar, tamarack and paper birch, as well as the swamp lands bordering the banks, make the river an ideal habitat for turtles, frogs, beavers, muskrats and otters. Bald eagles, heron, ducks, swans and many other species of birds may be sighted along the river. There is a concerted effort by state and local authorities to improve and restore the Crystal River Watershed to conditions that will sustain native plant and animal species.