Fight to dredge Gordon Pass continues

Reporter: Jennifer Jones
Published: Updated:

NAPLES, Fla.- Collier County Commissioner Penny Taylor is requesting Gordon Pass be dredged immediately.

Boaters who regularly travel the area say there is a hazardous sandbar that has caused serious damage to several boats.

“It’s a reality, the pass needs to be dredged,” said Taylor.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who is in charge of the pass, doesn’t believe the area gets enough commercial traffic to take action on the issue, but Taylor disagrees.

“Yes, there’s pleasure boats but, a lot of folks make their living on the water and they use the pass to get out to the Gulf of Mexico. So the idea that it’s not commercially used, indicates to me that you don’t know about Naples and its commerce. It’s very important to keep it open.”

Taylor says the issue will be discussed at a board meeting next month. She’s hoping her fellow commissioners and Naples City Council members can work together to get the concern fixed as soon as possible.

In the meantime, Taylor says Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart is doing what he can in Washington D.C., trying to get some sort of funding to get the pass dredged.

“We need to stand together as a community, if we do, should have great success,” said Taylor.

WINK News also reached out to Senator Bill Nelson. In a statement, a spokesperson for the senator said:

“Sen. Nelson is aware of the complaints about Gordon Pass. Our office has reached out to the Army Corps of Engineers to discuss the issue and we’ve been told that the Corps lacks the funding needed to dredge the pass. One of the things Sen. Nelson is pushing for now is more funding for the Corps to do projects like Gordon Pass.”

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