According to Dozier, the DEP requires the feasibility study to last 20 to 36 months. "This is a very popular item in Bay County because most people that grew up here, that have lived here for quite some time, understand the value of the exchange of the fresh sea water," Dozier said. "When the Old Pass closed, it limited the amount of fresh sea water that comes into the bay system, which we believe damages our bay." Dozier added that many residents remember the beauty of the area when Old Pass was open. Before the West Pass was carved in the 1930s, boaters would use Old Pass to reach the Gulf of Mexico. It became impassable in 1999 after decades of sand filling the channel.