 In 1981, the inlet was dredged at a cost of $8 million.To keep the inlet from shoaling closed as the barrier islands move requires regular dredging of the inlet.According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Section 201 of the Flood Control Act of 1965 authorized the dredging project which includes a channel 16 ft deep and 300 ft wide, tapering to 10 ft deep and 150 ft wide through the inlet, and a channel 7 ft deep and 100 ft wide between the inlet and the Intracoastal Waterway.