Cumulative Effects of Channel and EBB Shoal Dredging on Inlet Evolution in Southwest Florida, USA

摘要

This paper describes analysis and numerical modeling of tidal inlets in southwest Florida, where coverage of large temporal and spatial scales is necessary. A methodology is introduced for examining the response of complex inlet systems to dredging, including modeling of regional hydrodynamics, wave- current interaction, sediment transport, and application of the Inlet Reservoir Model. A case study for Longboat Pass, Florida, demonstrates this methodology. Longboat Pass is one of several tidal connections between the Gulf of Mexico and the Sarasota Bay system. The study covers evolution of Longboat Pass from 1880 to present. The analysis begins with natural conditions that existed before dredging or inlet modifications and investigates how inlet evolution is influenced by navigation improvements and mining of the ebb shoal for beach nourishment.