Sarasota County moves to keep Midnight Pass open

Sarasota County commissioners approved five efforts to plan and manage Midnight Pass, the inlet between Siesta Key and Casey Key: continued data collection and modeling, plans for signs and navigational channel markers, ongoing evaluation of dredging, starting the state and federal permit process to maintain the pass at its current size, and continued stakeholder outreach. County staff have been surveying the pass weekly to track its depth and position, since storms and shifting sand keep moving it. Boaters want a more reliable channel, and restoration advocates say more water moving in and out would help the bays recover. No budget or timeline has been announced yet.