Citrus County uses RESTORE funds to deploy phase 2 of offshore artificial reef

Citrus County has completed phase 2 of a three‑site artificial reef project in the Gulf of Mexico using material salvaged from the dismantled Cross Florida barge canal bridge. "When they took it down, they broke it down into sections right around 1,900 tons of material," an on‑site project speaker said during a county segment.

County and project representatives described the reef as a way to add bottom relief where the Gulf otherwise offers relatively little structure within reach of average recreational boats. A project representative said that the three drop sites are roughly 350 feet apart and that divers often see marine life on new structure within hours or days.

The speaker credited a county allocation of RESTORE funds — federal payments to coastal counties tied to the BP oil‑spill settlement — with fully funding the reef work. "The money that funded this project came entirely from the RESTORE funds," the speaker said, adding that Citrus County has also directed RESTORE money to other local projects including a Crystal River riverwalk.

County officials framed the reef as both an ecological and recreational enhancement, saying the change in bottom contour will increase biomass and attract bait fish, which in turn draw larger species such as snappers and groupers. The segment did not include independent scientific surveys or timelines for ecological monitoring.

Next steps were not specified on the program. Funding source and deployment method were described on air; program speakers did not outline post‑deployment monitoring or permitting details.