The Sarasota County Commission is sched-
uled to hold a limited discussion of the report
during its budget workshop on July 1, Matt
Osterhoudt, acting director of the county's
Natural Resources Department, told mem-
bers of the Siesta Key Association on June 5.
County staff members will review the mate-
rial, he added, so they can facilitate that
session.
A longer agenda item is planned for Sept. 19,
he said.
T h e f u l l r e p o r t i s a v a i l a b l e o n t h e
county website.
STUDYING BIG PASS
During its work on the modeling, the Corps of
Engineers examined the structural features
of Big Pass from 1883 to the present day, the
report says. While the pass has maintained the
same orientation and similar structure for the
past 100 years, the report says, dredges since
the 1920s "have caused significant changes
in the orientation of the south lobe of the
inlet complex."
In 1943, the report points out, the main ebb
channel of the pass ran along the northern
shoreline of Siesta Key and the ebb shoal was
An historic map shows the plan for the Ringling Isles created early in the 20th century by John
Ringling and Owen Burns. Image courtesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Sarasota News Leader June 13, 2014 Page 12
