BCI Engineers and Scientists

Lake Okeechobee occupies about 730 square miles in the center of the southern part of Florida. The Herbert Hoover Dike was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in the 1930s to act as a levee and provide flood protection for surrounding agricultural lands and settlements. It is approximately 140 miles long, and up to 36 feet high.

For some 30 years, the Dike has been functioning as a dam as increased demands for water in South Florida have resulted in higher lake impoundment levels. For the past two decades, high seepage, with the related potential for internal erosion or piping, has been noted when water levels rise during the summer rainy season. The concern for the safety of the Dike and potential consequences of a failure led the SFWMD to retain BCI to conduct an independent technical review of the stability and safety of the Herbert Hoover Dike.

The scope of the review included analysis and evaluation of documents relating to the design and construction of the dike; results of monitoring the dike performance, repair and maintenance records; and a proposed major rehabilitation by the USACE. Particular emphasis was placed on concern for the dike’s structural stability; points of concern include seepage and water pressures within the embankment; fill and highly porous zones of the foundation; and erosion due to wave action and potential overtopping during large storm events. The work done by the USACE for many years constituted a sizeable body of reports, which the panel reviewed and evaluated.

The conclusions reached and the recommendations made were contained in a report to SFWMD that received wide circulation and attention by the media. The report also stimulated increased activity by the State of Florida to develop improved emergency action and evacuation plans, and by the USACE to accelerate repairs to critical sections of the dike.