Passage Key Inlet, Florida; CMS Modeling and Borrow Site Impact Analysis

This Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering Technical Note CHETN describes the use of a nested Coastal Modeling System CMS model for Passage Key Inlet, which is one of the connections between the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay in southwest Florida Figure 1. CMS was used to examine any potential impacts of a proposed borrow site on tidal currents, wave climate, or wave-driven sediment transport at Passage Key Inlet. This analysis resulted in issuing a new Florida Department of Environmental Protection FDEP permit to award a Flood Control and Coastal Emergency FCCE beach nourishment contract in the wake of Tropical Storm Debby which occurred in June 2012. Active projects existing in this region include the Pinellas County Shore Protection Project SPP, Tampa Harbor Deepening Project, Manatee County SPP at Anna Maria Island, the City of Sarasota SPP at Lido Key, Sarasota County SPP at Venice Beach, and a number of federally authorized channels. Local projects exist at Longboat Key and Siesta Key. This study was supported by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers USACE Jacksonville District SAJ and the USACE Engineer Research and Development Center ERDC through the USACE Regional Sediment Management RSM Program.