Dredging at Clam Pass began on Wednesday

By Julie Salomone

CREATED Mar. 6, 2013

  • Print

  • Crews begin work at Clam Pass. Dredging should be completed by March 30th. Video by fox4now.com

    video

NAPLES, Fla.- Tourists and Collier County residents spent months wondering if Clam Pass would ever be fixed.

Last Friday, Commissioner Georgia Hiller announced the county received a dredging permit. Dredging started on Wednesday. Crews will work 24 hours a day and even at night.

Michele Demokwicz is spending the next 2 months in Naples and on the beach, she is greeted with construction fencing and heavy machinery.


"I'm very interested to see what's happening and how going it will get done so quickly."

Michele tells Fox 4 she has never been happier to see construction work.

"Digging up lots and lots of sand! It's amazing they are going to get it done in 2 weeks."

Dredging at Clam Pass started on Wednesday. The pass closed several months ago after a storm passed over the area during the summer and erased the estuary that connects the bay to the Gulf of Mexico. Collier County residents and tourists wondered for months if the pass would be saved.

"I was very very worried this fall when it first closed off, took a long time to have it dredged, I'm thrilled," said Naples resident Cindy Mason.

Back in January, tourists and even kids with toy shovels dug in and tried to save the pass.

"A real community effort. Everybody was hopeful it would make a difference out here. Everyone trying to be little engineers," said Mason.

"We're going to miss everybody out here and pitching in with the shovel. It was cool to see!" said Michael McIntyre, Naples resident.

A much different shoveling effort happening on Wednesday, but those on the beach tell Fox they don't mind alittle construction interfering with their paradise.

Work is expected to be complete by March 30.