It is now called: “The Buckley’s Pass Project” or “Buckley’s Pass” and it looks like this navigational short cut will actually happen!  First, the new name is to honor the late Capt. John Buckley who was instrumental in making this come to fruition.

Based on my research, the City of Punta Gorda cut a deal with land owner Robert “Buckey” McQueen and the land purchase was approved on August 22, 2018.  This parcel is a land mass that separates a navigable portion of the bird section canal system to the waters of Alligator Creek.  This 4.24 acre parcel is being purchased for $440,000 and the city will create a channel through it that is 1,446 feet long and 60 feet wide.  This connection to Alligator Creek will shorten the boat ride from all homes in the locally named “Bird Section” of Punta Gorda Isles and my guess is it will cut the boat ride time in nearly ½ from the ride it takes to go out (for many homes) to the existing Ponce de Leon channel to the north and west.  This location also places the mariner several miles to the south on the harbor and of course, closer to the Gulf of Mexico.  With that said there are a lot of advantages to use this short cut.  One of key factors that has been missing in the mention of this bird cut through is WATER DEPTH!  They talk width and length but not depth!  Of course, to a serious boater like myself this would be one of the first points to be highlighted but I anticipate a minimum of 6 feet mean low water (MLW).  Anything less would prohibit many large sailing craft and deeper draft power boats from using it.  Add to that I believe it was no coincidence that Charlotte County decided to DREDGE Alligator Creek earlier this year to a new DEEPER water depth that was prescribed to be dredged to 6 feet MLW.  With these depths, they match the city’s prescribed maintenance depth of 6 feet MLW at Ponce de Leon channel.

For those not familiar with the “Bird Section” of PGI, this area got its name because all of the streets are named after birds.  Whether it is a shore bird or upland game bird you will find an interesting mix of names.  This section of Punta Gorda Isles is the newest section within this Punta Gorda neighborhood with most homes being built in the late 80’s to current and with that it has a newer appearance with the absence of homes built in the 60’s and 70’s that can be found in other parts of PGI.

Other important issues that have been met with this project are:

Army Corp of Engineers approved the cut through on August 7, 2018 (Permit NO. SAJ-2016-02715 (SP-KRD).  This was a big hurdle to overcome.

One approval that was previously reported was necessary was the NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES.  I have not heard mention of this and wonder if this is still an outlying issue.

One other point on this project that I have contemplated is that the channel they are cutting is only 60 feet wide.  Granted this should be fine for most vessels that pass in the channel, but more would be better.

The big deal is that it looks like the Bird Section cut through is actually going to happen!  Exactly when no one has reported as the City of Punta Gorda is now figuring out how to assess the property owners in a fair manor to cover the cost of the project estimated at approximately $2 million to complete.  Also, the date of the actual land purchase has not been determined either.  Of course, once completed I would expect the city hopes to assess bird section taxes at a higher millage rate since they will have a shorter boat ride time out.

For sailors and power craft this area of Punta Gorda Isles will become more attractive if a shorter boat ride is important to you.  It remains to be seen if Buckley’s Pass increases property values.

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There are distinctly different dredging considerations in Charlotte County depending on whether your property is located in the City of Punta Gorda, specifically the neighborhoods of Punta Gorda Isles (PGI) or Burnt Store Isles (BSI) VERSUS the county outside of the city limits.

PGI and BSI dredging is the simplest and most cost effective.  Basically, the city has identified one contractor to handle dredging in the isles.  Marine Contracting Group is the point of contact if you have a dredging need; 941-505-0221.  If you need a dredge project at your dock, you contact them and they will have the dredging team meet with you and discuss your needs.  There are NO permits required with the state or county.  The cost of dredging is $265.50 per hour which includes the muck and dredge material removal.  So the charge is for the entire time the dredge and associated barges are in operation to remove the material from your dock and then re-deposit in designated areas within the Isles canal systems.  This may seem odd and is a recent change where dredging material used to be relocated inland.  Apparently, the Army Corp of Engineers got involved and has determined that canal flow in both Punta Gorda Isles and Burnt Store Isles will be improved if there is a more uniform, consistent water depth.  There are prescribed locations by the corp of engineers where the canal water depths are excessively deep.  I can vouch for the fact that there are many areas over 20 feet deep most often in the larger basin areas.  The thought is reducing water depth in these locations will improve flow.  Seems to make sense to me but it will certainly impact aquatic life that has resided in these areas for the past 50 years.  The cost of private dredging is reasonably inexpensive because the muck and silt removed from the bottom is moved from the barge and re-deposited back into a neighboring canal system without the need for hauling inland and trucking away.

Dredging in county water is a whole different story.  First, you must apply for the appropriate permits to dredge.  You must also identify a vacant lot where the lot owner cooperates with the depositing of the dredge materials on their lot.  Once the lot has been identified, the lot must be assigned the name of a designated spoil site, which I believe is part of the permitting process.  These steps are probably not as difficult as it sounds it you find a cooperative land owner.

Once the dredge materials have been deposited on the lot, then the material is trucked to a pre-determined spoil site.  The cost of doing a private dredge for just a single home becomes very expensive.  The most cost effective way to handle this is if you can get a group of neighbors that all need a private dredge, identify a neighbor that is willing to allow their lot to be used and then the costs of moving the material around via barge and then by truck on land is shared by the group of neighbors wanting dredged.

There are 350 miles of navigable waterways in Charlotte County.  In PGI there are 91 miles of seawall and 18 miles in BSI which is included in the 350 miles of waterways.  Fortunately, the majority of time the depths at your dock are satisfactory and the cost and concern for dredging goes away.  This is certainly something of high priority for me to guide my customers to homes and land that are right for their boat.

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1. PGI has long been known as a deeper water location for sailors.
2. BSI has long been misunderstood as to what the actual water depths are with bad information circulating around town and with realtors.
3. Alligator Creek is the exit waterway for Burnt Store Isles.  In reality it is a river not a creek by most northern standards.  Alligator Creek is a tidal environment with tides that over time create soft bottom shoaling and requires periodic dredging.

The short answer to whether Burnt Store Isles is a good option for sailors is YES!  Historically, the main worry was water depth in Alligator Creek (please refer to my sounding measurements taken this year and prior to that).  I have consistently found 5 feet mean low water (MLW) in my sounding measurements.  Better yet, a recent dredging project was to increase the water depth to 6 feet MLW.  This project was recently completed and I will verify that the dredging company truly established this water depth throughout the creek.  With that said, Alligator Creek is a yes for sailors.

When addressing BSI, the canal depths overall are plenty deep ranging from 8 to 15 feet or more regardless of tide.  In recent years however, the rim canal, which is the mangrove shoreline that many canals exit into, which then traverses into Alligator Creek, has had areas that have filled in.  The good news is that a dredging operation began on June 6, 2017 with anticipated completion in September 2017.  I have yet to read what their water depth dredging target is but guessing a minimum of 6 feet MLW.  Once completed, I would expect the City of Punta Gorda, which oversees this effort will assure all boaters they have 6 feet MLW from all of Burnt Store Isles out to the harbor which obviously includes Alligator Creek.

Another navigational consideration for BSI is the lock section which is a non-functional lock but creates a narrowing as you leave BSI to enter Alligator Creek.  It is a concrete sided passageway that has recently been reinforced with rip-rap for integrity.  This opening is 17 feet.  Upon entry to this area you are required to sound a horn to notify other boaters of your entrance into the old lock, which is actually a very short length.  With a 17 foot opening, catamaran style hulls are pretty much eliminated.  Burnt Store Isles is a sailing community for mono-hull sailors and power boats.

What to expect in the future?  This is strictly my opinion but I have seen the City of Punta Gorda in recent years be more attentive to the water depths in Alligator Creek with more frequent dredging.  With the possibility of another section of PGI, known as the Bird Section having a proper entrance created to allow ingress into Alligator Creek with sailboat water depth, the emphasis on water depth becomes even more of an obligation for the city to keep up with any shoaling that might occur.  Many years ago the city allowed Alligator Creek to develop some shallow spots that had boaters with a draft of 5 feet to have concern and making it necessary to watch the tides especially in the winter months.  This resulted in common thinking that Burnt Store Isles was not a sailing community.  Hopefully, any misinformation that you have heard while investigating the area has been dispelled and that you will feel comfortable as a boater with current water depths and navigational information.

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A 264 boat slip marina is proposed for installation into the freshwater lake which, of course, would become a saltwater lagoon if a channel to the river were created.

In addition to the special exemption additional permitting through the Southwest Florida Management District, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, National Marine Fisheries Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is necessary. It will be interesting to see if environmental concerns will outweigh the benefit to the community itself. From my vantage point, the owners of Vivante condos are the beneficiary and one would have to wonder if their condo fees would go up as they are already quite large.

This project would require seawalls, breakwater rip-rap, bottom dredging and host of other man-made features to make this all work. Interestingly, the proposal from the Engineering Firm that has been hired to facilitate this endeavor hints that there should be little or no concern for local citizens, their property values, boating traffic concerns, etc.

This project has been proposed before and shot down by local property owners and citizens. Time will tell if money is stronger than the concern for the environment.

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The latest word I received was the engineer in charge, Hans Wilson has studied it extensively in many different ways. Including diving the canal and river waters nearby to get a first-hand look under water. One of the biggest hurdles I suspect will be working and convincing the EPA, Army Corp of Engineers and any other environmental agencies to agree on creating the canal. One idea is to create a canal with a radius so that boaters coming from either direction will be able to see others in advance, as opposed to a straight line canal (with 90 degree corners) from the bird section to the creek. This seems logical when you think about it.

One suggestion on the table to make this project more palatable to the environmentalists is to demonstrate that the impact to the environment will be minimal and as a mitigating action, close off Poachers Cut. Poachers Cut is shallow and boats often disturb the bottom in going through there. Wakes from boats also may cause damage to the estuary itself. By placing wooden pilings at the entrance to the cut it will eliminate all but canoes/kayaks and essentially promote better environmental care.

This project is a long time in coming and no one knows if it will be approved but there is a lot of support behind it. I will update you as I get other information.

If the Bird Section-Alligator Creek access canal is created it will cut many boat ride times in half especially for homes located in the north end of the bird section. With that said there is potential for some escalation in property values. Boat ride times in the north end can run 45 to 60 minutes to Ponce Inlet.

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Dredging of the Ponce Channel is nothing new and is required periodically. According to my research the Army Corp of Engineers has approved dredging to 8 feet. In a brief conversation with the head of the canal maintenance department I was told dredging would be to 6 feet mean low water (MLW).

I WILL BE PERSONALLY MONITORING THE WATER DEPTHS TO CONFIRM THE CHANNEL DEPTHS AT PONCE. THE DATA I ACCULATE WILL BE POSTED ON THIS WEBSITE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE. Three years ago I did sounding measurements of Ponce and will compare from then to now.

This waterway has a marked channel entrance that eventually meanders through a tidal creek and tidal flats. The trickiest area of navigation is the “S” curves as it is a tidal flat and easily fills in with the incoming and outgoing tide.

I am told the Punta Gorda Dept. of Public Works is overseeing this operation. I am sure all boaters will be happy that the city takes maintaining the channel seriously. For a short time, fisherman utilizing public piers will have to relocate until the waterway project is complete and the waters have settled. Fishing Franks in Port Charlotte are directing their landbound fisherman to other areas for the time being.

I have sold homes to sail boaters that vessels draft 7 and more feet. Most sailors in the area generally have shoal draft sailboats or vessels that draft less than 6 feet. In a few days the work should be completed. Let’s see just how deep the channel is dredged to with real life depth soundings.

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