Hurricanes reopen Midnight Pass, reigniting debate over maintaining it

'Midnight Pass' opens during recent hurricanes

FOX 13's Mark Wilson reports on the debate over the future of the thin stretch of beach in Sarasota known as "Midnight Pass," which reopened due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

OSPREY, Fla. - Hurricanes Helene and Milton did something that Sarasota residents have tried to do for years, but failed. The storms reopened a thin stretch of beach known as "Midnight Pass" and homeowners nearby couldn't be happier.

Now, they're just hoping the county can figure out how to keep it that way because it's a pass with a colorful and controversial past.

"It was meant to be opened, there's no question," Mike Grouse told FOX 13 News.

This side-by-side comparison shows Midnight Pass before and after Hurricanes Helene and Milton reopened the pass.

Grouse lives nearby and says that in a matter of days, he noticed a difference in the water quality behind it in Little Sarasota Bay. Grouse says the clearer water has brought in birds and fish, while creating a new hotspot for boaters and fisherman, which is something many have craved since the pass was closed in 1983.

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Back then, several nearby homeowners were concerned about erosion and convinced county officials to allow them to fill in the pass. When they did, it closed off the tidal flow to Little Sarasota Bay and many say the area's water quality has deteriorated steadily since.

When we visited two years ago, the water was dark. Sludge lined the shore.

This photo shows Midnight Pass when it was closed before Hurricanes Helene and Milton reopened it.

"I wouldn't let my dog swim in this water," Scott Lewis said.

The muck was so bad behind The Point restaurant, its owner, Mike Evanoff, told FOX 13 patrons often complained thinking they had a septic tank leak.

"And we weren't on septic, we were on sewer," Evanoff said. "Because of the muck in the water the stench was so bad, it was unbearable."

Residents and business owners near Midnight Pass say water quality has steadily deteriorated since the pass closed in 1983.

Grouse, Lewis and Evanoff had all lobbied state and local officials, even founding a non-profit organization called Restore Midnight Pass, which rallied other residents to join in the effort to re-open the pass to improve the water quality of the bay.

That's when Hurricanes Helene and Milton stepped in with a one-two punch that blasted a hole in the beach about 130 feet wide, sporting a feisty tidal flow flushing out much of the stagnant water.

"You have flowing water bringing wildlife in, fresh (salt) water in, cleaning the bay behind it. It's the best-case scenario because the bay has been on life support for 30 years," said Grouse.

This photo shows water flowing at Midnight Pass after Hurricanes Helene and Milton reopened it.

Keeping it open won't be easy because barrier islands are notoriously finicky, but there is support from Sarasota's County Commission to keep it open since they've determined it qualifies as an actual pass. But how to do that remains in question, as dredging may be required. Congressman Greg Stuebe recently sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of engineers to consider, as that would be the agency responsible.

"They have to come up with a plan to maintain this opening because it could stay open for years or it could close next week," said Dr. David Tomasko, Executive Director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program.

He tells FOX 13 that he has been asked – along with teams from the University of South Florida and University of Florida – to watch, measure and monitor it so they can offer their expertise and advice the commission while they develop an inlet management plan.

There is growing hope for Midnight Pass to reopen permanently following Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

"It's exciting. We think it's a real neat opportunity to document how the re-establishment of this lost historical tidal connections affects the health of the bay," Tomasko said.

He also says dredging may be required, but he urges caution there.

"That's going to be very expensive. It will be difficult to permit and you may not get community support because it's going to cost someone a lot of money," said Tomasko. "What we think makes more sense is to collect this data, present to the county so the county can maintain the pass as it is right now."

This photo shows water flowing at Midnight Pass after Hurricanes Helene and Milton reopened it.

A county spokesman tells FOX 13 that a monitoring plan is currently underway to establish baseline conditions that will likely be utilized if and when an inlet management plan is developed.

Meantime, nearby residents are enjoying the coastal life they'd always dreamed of.

"It's like a whole new world in just the last weeks," said Grouse with a wide grin.

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