Ever wonder what determines the water level of Glen Lake and consequently the water flow in the Crystal River? If so, read on. The next few paragraphs will briefly outline where the water comes from, where it goes, and the management plan philosophy we have developed to serve the Glen Lake-Crystal River community.

The water comes from the precipitation we receive throughout the year in the form of rain and snow. It finds its way into the lake two different ways: directly from the sky and through the surrounding area which is called the Glen Lake watershed. The water that flows in from the surrounding streams and underground springs (predominantly located along the East and South shores of Big Glen) contributes significantly, but water seeps in from all the hills and lands surrounding the lake. This watershed rain and snow melt filters through the surrounding properties, lawns, and forests down through the sand and gravel into the lake. Fortunately this filtration has a significant time lag so we continue to have water coming into the lake during the dry weeks of the summer. Something to keep in mind is that any chemicals, fertilizers, fuels, or septage that is spread, spilled or buried in the watershed eventually makes its way into the lakes too. So the importance of keeping ground and streams clean is obvious.

See the report.