The Destin City Council unanimously approved sending letters to state and federal lawmakers Monday requesting their support in addressing ongoing navigation and safety issues at East Pass.
- The action follows years of concerns about improperly placed channel markers, insufficient lighting and inadequate maintenance that have created hazards for boaters. Last week, a large vessel collided with the jetties. Nine years ago, another accident at the pass resulted in two deaths.
John Stephens, Vice Chairman of the Destin Harbor and Waterways Board and former Destin City Councilman, presented the board’s recommendation to the council during the Oct. 6 meeting.
“For a city that calls itself a world-class fishing community, our current entrance conditions are far below standard,” Stephens said. “If you look over to Orange Beach, their entrance is well lit up, it’s easy to navigate, and that’s exactly the level of safety and professionalism we should be aiming for in Destin.”
The U.S. Coast Guard repositioned buoys 1 and 2 to a deeper part of the ebb shoal this year, improving navigation, according to Stephens. However, he said other concerns remain unaddressed.
The city is requesting the Coast Guard repair and upgrade the East Pass marker, install a new day marker at the end of the west jetty, add lighting to all existing nun and can buoys, and keep buoys 1 and 2 in their new positions while adding illumination to them.
- Council members approved sending a letter to state Rep. Jimmy Patronis. City Manager Larry Jones suggested also sending letters to U.S. Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody.
Councilwoman Teresa Hebert asked whether the Coast Guard had not received previous communications about the issues or had simply prioritized differently.
“I honestly don’t know,” Stephens said. “I have no contact with the Coast Guard’s ATON team, but that was one thing that we noticed that they moved and we were hoping that they were going to address the other stuff, but they didn’t.”
The council had previously passed a motion on Nov. 4, 2024, prioritizing lighting on the jetties first, followed by navigation lighting on channel markers through the pass. Stephens said no progress report has been provided on that action.
In the letter to Patronis dated Oct. 7, Jones wrote that improving navigational aids “is not only a matter of enhancing safety for all but also preserving Destin’s reputation as a safe and welcoming coastal destination.”
