The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, has taken another step forward regarding the Lido Key Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction project, specifically finalizing the Environmental Assessment and signing a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for this project.
The purpose of the document is to assess the effects on the human environment of dredging beach compatible sand from the Big Sarasota Pass ebb shoal.
Updated information on the groin features proposed at the southern end of the project is also included. The sand will be placed along the shoreline of Lido Key to protect upland infrastructure and to restore beach habitats. The project is located in Sarasota County.
The EA evaluates the effects of both the Preferred Alternative and the No Action Alternative. Past analyses conducted pursuant to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) evaluated sand placement and the groin features, but the offshore sand source alternatives that were previously analyzed are no longer considered viable for this project. The Corps signed a Finding of No Significant Impact July 30, 2018.
The City of Sarasota has nourished Lido Key several times since 1998 when severe beach erosion and storms threatened structures. The sand from Lido Key moves into the ebb shoal at Big Sarasota Pass, where a portion of it then moves to Siesta Key through swash bars that attach to the shoreline.
Modeling conducted in 2013-2014 found that dredging material from the ebb shoal would not affect the volume of sediment bypassing Big Sarasota Pass and attaching to Siesta Key.