MANASOTA KEY — Charlotte County officials have decided to close the newly opened pass on Manasota Key dubbed Milton Pass.
The new pass opened at the south end of the Key, cutting across Stump Pass Beach State Park and joining the Gulf of Mexico and Lemon Bay when Hurricane Milton blasted the Southwest Florida coast on Oct. 10.
The old Stump Pass — which has been dredged several times over the past three decades — is still there, about three-quarters of a mile to the south.
Passes form when water naturally erodes away terrain. They can form slowly, or, in the case of Milton Pass, quickly from back-to-back hurricanes.
It’s not uncommon for major hurricanes to erode beaches with their powerful storm surges and winds, forming temporary passes that aren’t usually deep enough to maintain themselves.
Helene and Milton combined to reopen Midnight Pass a few dozen miles to the north, linking the Gulf with Little Sarasota Bay between Casey and Siesta keys after it had been closed for more than 40 years.