98. INFLUENCES OF CHANNEL DREDGING ON FLOW AND SEDIMENTATION PATTERNS AT MICROTIDAL INLETS, WEST-CENTRAL FLORIDA, USA

Abstract

Four inlets (Johns Pass and Blind Pass; and New Pass and Big Sarasota Pass) in two multi-inlet systems along the West-central Florida coast were studied. Johns Pass, New Pass, and Blind Pass are dredged every 4-9 years, whereas Big Sarasota Pass has never been dredged. The goal of this study was to investigate the morphodynamics of the four inlets and the influences of channel dredging on the flow patterns over the ebb tidal delta and sediment bypassing. Time-series aerial photographs and bathymetric maps starting from the 1920s were analyzed to assess the pathways of sand bypassing and morphodynamics at the inlets. The Coastal Modeling System (CMS), computing wave, current, sediment transport, and morphology change of tidal inlets, was applied and reproduced the observed medium-term morphology changes. CMS is then used to investigate influences of channel dredging on inlet morphodynamics.