Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/227385
Sarasota News Leader December 13, 2013 Page 39 dredging the ebb shoal of Big Pass between "If [the plan] hurts our beach, you'll have no Siesta and Lido keys — an undertaking that tourists here," a woman in the audience told the Corps representatives and DavisShaw. never has been done. Some renourishment would be undertaken every five years, he explained, with part of the sand coming from New Pass in the future. Before Big Pass became the focus for the project, he continued, the Corps "spent a lot of funds, a lot of time and a lot of effort looking for sand offshore of Longboat Key." DavisShaw emphasized that the three key elements of the plan would be preserving Siesta Key, preserving navigation in Big Pass and protecting Lido Key. "We want all those things to be done." Mora stressed that the 1.1 million cubic yards of sand to be taken from Big Pass is only about 3 percent of the available sand in the channel. About 4 million cubic yards of sand put into the Big Pass system has come from previous Lido and Longboat renourishments, he pointed out. The three groins that are part of the project would be built at the natural 5-foot elevation and be covered by sand, Mora continued. The groins, which would range in length from 350 feet to 500 feet, would help keep the new sand in place, he added. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers representatives Jason Engle (left) and Milan Mora address the Siesta Key Association audience on Dec. 5. Photo by Rachel Hackney