Lido Beach Renourishment Concerns

Editors Note:  LSPOA Board members Bob Lifeso and Anne Essner attended a recent US Army Corps of Engineers presentation on a proposed 50-year plan to slow erosion on south Lido Key by constructing three-rock barriers called groins. But as Bob and Anne found, this isn't a simple plan, and not everyone is convinced it will work. Please let us know your thoughts as well.  

Aerial view of Big Pass - (Note the large shoal many Siesta Key residents don't want dredged )

Anne Essner and I, representing the Lido Shores Home Owners Association, recently attended an Army Corps of Engineers presentation for the proposed Lido Beach refurbishment. There were approximately 100- residents from south Lido Key in attendance (out of nine-hundred members of the Lido Key Residents Association), suggesting the concern this project has aroused in our neighbors to the south.

The Corps, in association with Sarasota County, propose to build three-large stone groins at the south end of Lido to retain Lido beach sand and hopefully slow beach erosion. These will extend 350-to-500 feet westward into the Gulf from the southern end of Lido Key.

Once the groins are completed, 1.1 Million Cubic Yards of sand will be dredged from the shoal, or sandbar, off Big Pass and deposited on Lido, from the Public Beach southward, initially covering the groins. This is a temporary fix to a long term erosion problem and renourishment will be required about every four to five-years for the foreseeable future. For this proposed project, the Corps estimates repeating the sand replacement process for the next 50-years.  

Sand will be secured in alternate cycles from Big Pass and New Pass. Without the groins, according to the Corps, renourishment would be required every two-and-a-half-years. The largest groin, a large rock structure, somewhat like a pier, will be constructed at the southern end of Lido Key and extend 500-hundred feet into the Gulf.  

Current 100-foot rock groin on south Lido Key

It will be initially covered with sand, but as wind and wave erosion continues, this man made barrier will gradually be exposed and remain a permanent and unsightly fixture. A much smaller groin now exists at the southern end of the public beach, just south of the snack bar and Lido pool. There is a natural current in the Gulf. Water generally moves in a southerly direction at about one-knot.  This current carries sand from north to south. The groins hopefully would slow this natural flow, (i.e.  we get sand from Long Boat and send it on to Siesta).

Residents of Siesta Key have expressed opposition to the project in previous public forums. They say Big Pass has never been dredged (their world-class beaches have been renourished in the past by dredging from offshore locations) and they are concerned the groins designed to protect Lido Key may adversely affect Siesta Key beaches.  

They also say there has been no impact or feasibility studies published to date. The Corps says an impact study will be completed in February, which may, or may not, alter the ultimate design.

There was previous study in 2004, which indicated little damage to Siesta, but that study is to be updated with new data in February.  

The residents of south Lido fear continued erosion will destroy their beach and ultimately their homes. The residents of Siesta fear any potential fix to south Lido's problem will adversely affect their beaches and their tourist traffic. 

Lido Beach north of the groin showing more erosion

I personally fear that the science is not yet ready for prime time. For those of you who walk the beach, as I do, I suggest you look at the present groin at the south end of the public beach. The Corps showed photos of sand buildup to the north of that groin to prove that groins retain sand to their north  (photo taken in 2006 before the last refurbishment).  

This is the rationale to build three-large groins on the south end of Lido to hold sand and slow erosion to their north sides. As mentioned, our off shore current runs north to south, and if you look at New Pass and Big Pass, you will note that they both exit into the Gulf in a south west direction.  

I am not an engineer, but I have observed the groin opposite the public pool since the last refurbishment four-years ago. There is no sand buildup to its north, in fact, there is more erosion to the north then to the south.

Secondly, look at the quality of the beach south of the public beach. It is coarse, rough and full of aggregate. This is the result of one renourishment. I fear those change will be more pronounced after repeated renourishments.

Lido Beach south of the groin

We are presently in the fact-finding stage of this project. I suggest that each of you take a closer look at the beach for yourselves. The Army Corps feasibility study is to be available in February, and Sarasota County is planning to add an information page to its web site, hopefully in the next few weeks (www.sarasotagov.com).

This project should not physically impact on our north end of Lido Key, but again, even that is unknown, and possibly unknowable. We all live on this little island and we all benefit economically from the entire beach. 

I would be more reassured about the feasibility studies if they corresponded to what I see on the beach every day. Please take the time to look for yourselves.

~ Bob Lifeso