Manager, a GIS-based computer program, allows the user to organize and view 

 all the relevant information within a project area. Examples of the data kept in 

 the DMS-Data Manager include digitized bathymetries, aerial photographs, GIS 

 coverages, and shoaling history. This component gives "one-stop" access to all 

 graphical and numerical information associated with a maintained channel. 



The DMS -Manual is a reference document containing diagrams and example 

 photographs of different shoal categories. This "field guide" to shoaling 

 problems helps identify the types of shoals by giving the user comparable 

 examples. In addition to providing diagrams and examples, the DMS-Manual 

 also gives descriptions of the sediment shoaling and shoals, and the mechanisms 

 that create these features. 



The DMS-Analytical Toolbox is a suite of analytical tools and 

 recommendations in graphical formats for quick diagnosis of shoaling problems 

 and investigation of possible solutions. This toolbox includes a collection of 

 computer software (e.g., hydrodynamic models, wave refraction/diffraction 

 models) and analytical models (e.g., sediment-transport equations, wind- 

 generated wave models). In addition, the toolbox contains recommended output 

 formats from the models. By standardizing output formats, mechanisms that 

 contribute to shoaling will become easier to identify. The use of standardized 

 output formats facilitates the building of an experience base with which to 

 compare future shoaling investigations. Applied in parallel, these three 

 components provide for rapid and systematic assessment of shoaling hot spots. 

 Application of each component to the shoaling hot spots at East Pass, Florida, is 

 the focus of the present study. 



East Pass - history 



Application of the DMS requires familiarization with the study area. This 

 may be accomplished through a literature search, site visits, and discussion with 

 persons familiar with the area. This process discovers and assembles the 

 available data for the study area. The data will subsequently become input for 

 the DMS-Data Manager. This section familiarizes the reader with the study area 

 by providing a brief history of the pass and of the work performed there. 



East Pass is the only direct tidal link between the Gulf of Mexico and 

 Choctawhatchee Bay. Measuring approximately 4,000 ft long and 1,000 ft across 

 between the tips of the jetties. East Pass is located about 45 miles east of 

 Pensacola and 50 miles northwest of Panama City. Figure 1 shows the configur- 

 ation of East Pass and adjacent areas. Situated at the coordinates 30°23'N and 

 86°3 1 'W, East Pass is positioned between Santa Rosa Island to the west and 

 Moreno Point to the east. At 45 miles, Santa Rosa Island, the second longest 

 barrier island on the Gulf Coast, spans from East Pass on the east to Pensacola 

 Pass on the west. Averaging between 1,000 and 1,500 ft in width, this long, 

 narrow island shelters Santa Rosa Sound located directly north. Santa Rosa 

 Sound is a natural waterway connecting Choctawhatchee and Pensacola Bay. 

 The easternmost 4 miles of the island comprise Eglin Air Force Base and, for the 

 most part, remain undeveloped. Moreno Point is the western edge of a headland 

 separating Choctawhatchee Bay from the Gulf of Mexico. The City of Destin is 

 located on Moreno Point north of the inlet. On the east side of the pass near the 

 jetties is a sand spit, known as Norriego Point, that formed in 1935. This spit and 



Chapter 1 Background and Problem Statement 



