For more than 40 years, locals have debated whether or not to reopen Midnight Pass, which separated Casey Key and Siesta Key and connected Sarasota Bay to the Gulf of Mexico until it was bulldozed shut in the mid-1980s. Despite the public outrage the closure whipped up, the pass remained blocked until last year’s Hurricane Helene nudged it back open. Then Hurricane Milton followed on Helene’s heels, slamming into Siesta and widening and deepening the pass. (As of press time, the reopened Midnight Pass was between 11 and 14 feet deep, depending on tides, with a width of approximately 200 feet.)

Now the question is: Should Midnight Pass stay open? 

Motion of the Ocean

Passes naturally migrate, open and close over time due to natural factors like waves, storms, tides and erosion. As far back as the 1880s, before Midnight Pass existed, there was Blind Pass, which connected Little Sarasota Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. Then, in October 1921, a new pass—originally called Musketeers Pass—was opened by a hurricane. By 1924, Musketeers Pass had been renamed Midnight Pass and Blind Pass had naturally closed.

Dredging Up History

Restore Midnight Pass, an organization that has long advocated for reopening the channel, blames U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredging in the 1960s for creating “a major impact on the equilibrium of Midnight Pass.” Because of the dredging, the group says, the pass’ northern channel began to grow shallower, and the pass migrated north.

The Artist's Way

Midnight Pass was plugged by artist Syd Solomon and his neighbor Pasco Carter Jr. in 1984 in an effort to save their waterfront homes. Carter’s house (pictured at left) still stands; Solomon’s was condemned and ultimately razed in 2004, the same year he died.

It's Political

Officials like Rep. Greg Steube (R-Sarasota), have called for the Army Corps of Engineers to keep the pass open. Hurricanes Helene and Milton have “provided an opportunity for my constituents to experience some of the benefits of a reopened pass,” Steube wrote in a letter to the agency last October, adding that he is “hopeful” that the Corps “will complete a permanent restoration of Midnight Pass.”

Quality Control

One potential benefit of keeping the pass open includes improved water quality, which could lead to positive impacts on marine flora and fauna. Cons include disturbing existing mangroves and seagrasses that provide habitat for marine life, including fish and manatees.