COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – Collier County began a dredging project at Wiggins Pass and plans to dredge Doctors Pass. Collier County Coastal Zone Manager Andy Miller said sand-filled parts of the inlets, making it difficult for boaters to navigate the shallow waters. “We want to be able to get boats in and out of here without having to worry about hitting shallow water or getting stranded on a sandbar,” Miller said. The county will spend about $2.1 million in total on both projects. Workers will move that sand back to the surrounding beaches. “And so when it gets to the point where we get phone calls and emails about situations like that happening, we start planning to get things dredged,” she said. The project will deepen the channels and make the surrounding beaches stronger. The county usually completes these dredging projects every four years after receiving complaints from boaters. Miller said the currents that run parallel to the shore tend to pull the sand from the beach and move it to the south or the north.  “We try to keep it nice and safe for the boaters especially in season as the boaters get more congested,” Miller said. Boaters are urged to be careful while navigating near the dredging equipment. The Wiggins Pass project is expected to wrap up in early March.