MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — Crews began positioning equipment Monday around John’s Pass to begin the decades-delayed dredging project.
For almost 30 years now, the city of Madeira Beach has seen excess sand pile up here on the northern end of John’s Pass. The project’s goal is to get it all out and restore access to the marinas behind it.
“We’ve come a long way, and we’re excited to be finally reaching what seems to be, at least, somewhat of a goal line,” said Capt. Dylan Hubbard, owner of Hubbard’s Marina.
The $1.5 million project, which was funded by the 2022 Florida legislature, will move nearly 13,000 cubic yards of sand out of the area.
On Monday, officials said they were mobilizing equipment and getting a space ready for the excess sand that the City of Madeira Beach plans to use for future projects.
Real dredging is slated to begin Wednesday or Thursday.
“Number one, it’s about time. It’s been a long time coming. As snowbirds, we’ve been hearing the rhetoric for years, but it seems like they’re actually getting ready to do something,” said Mike Bridge, a part-time local.
The sand has piled up so badly that it’s becoming a public safety threat. Madeira Beach’s fire chief says John’s Pass has become the number one location for water rescues because of the intense current created by the sand.
The dredging will likely curb that and, according to Hubbard, help aquatic creatures swimming through.
“Unfortunately, with these sand (buildups), those marine animals come down here and they then have to all of a sudden go right out into the middle of the channel because the sand blocks the exit,” said Hubbard. “It’s dangerous for marine mammals, it’s dangerous for humans, and it’s a huge waste and drain on our taxpayer infrastructure.”
Bridge is ready to see it for himself.
“There’s so many tourists here that this is the kind of stuff they need to be doing to keep the tourists coming,” Bridge said.
City officials estimate the project will take 60 to 90 days and leave behind a depth of 10 to 12 feet.