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John’s Pass dredging project begins
Crews in Madeira Beach are mobilizing for the long-awaited John’s Pass dredging project that has taken four years to begin. FOX 13’s Aaron Mesmer reports.
Madeira Beach, Fla. - A familiar but controversial stretch of sand at John’s Pass is about to disappear as crews start a major dredging project aimed at improving safety and restoring water flow through the busy channel.
What we know:
Dredging is underway along the north side of the John’s Pass interior channel. Crews will remove about 13,000 cubic yards of sand that built up over the years beneath the bridge.
That sand created what looks like a small beach, drawing curious visitors and even long-time locals. But officials say it was never meant to be there.
"It’s an attractive nuisance, if you will, to use legal terms, because folks from out of state don’t know that it’s not a beach," said Captain Dylan Hubbard, owner of Hubbard’s Marina in Madeira Beach.
Big picture view:
City leaders say the extra sand led to unsafe conditions for pedestrians, boaters and swimmers. In a letter to state officials, Madeira Beach’s fire chief called John’s Pass the number one location for water rescues in the region, with 36 incidents reported last year alone.
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What they're saying:
Hubbard says restoring the channel will make a big difference.
"The overall area that is dry land will be between six and twelve feet deep again, and it’ll really renew water flow and hydrology in John’s Pass," Hubbard said.
He added that stronger, faster-moving currents often catch people off guard.
"The water looks very inviting, so people go down there, and the kids get in the water and start swimming, not realizing that the water and the current can move so quickly here inside John’s Pass," Hubbard said.
Long-time residents say the area has changed dramatically over decades.
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The $1.5 million project is paid for with state funding secured in 2022. State Representative Linda Chaney of Pinellas County helped push the funding through the Legislature.
"We got it through the legislature, we got it across the governor’s desk," Chaney said, adding the goal is both safety and economic stability for nearby businesses. "I’m looking forward to the dredge being completed so that the beach area disappears and that the local businesses there can operate fully, and that area is safe," Chaney said.
What's next:
The dredging project is expected to last between 60 and 90 days.
Once complete, officials say the sand will be gone, water flow will improve, and the channel should be safer for everyone who visits John’s Pass.
The Source: Information for this story came from interviews with Captain Dylan Hubbard, State Representative Linda Chaney and Madeira Beach officials.