East Pass in Bay County was a natural inlet that closed after construction of the federal navigation channel into St. Andrews Bay in support of the Panama City Harbor project, which captured most of the Bay’s tidal prism. In 2001, the County re-opened East Pass to evaluating the impact, performance and “success” of the re-opening. The pass re-opening improved water quality in the eastern arm of St. Andrews Bay in an area of significant ecological importance, but there were no definitive changes to the overall percent cover of sea grass beds.
Coastal Tech:
- conducted numerical modeling to assess channel stability and navigation safety;
- provided customary preliminary and final design phase services, including plans and specifications for construction of the new channel and new dunes;
- obtained USACE and FDEP permits;
- performed construction administration; and
- Conducted post-construction monitoring – including:
- onshore and offshore topographic and bathymetric surveys;
- current, water level, and water quality measurements;
- beach mouse, sea grass, sea turtle nesting, and shorebird surveys;
- aerial photography,
- compaction testing, and
- monitoring reports.