Additional $387M for Herbert Hoover Dike Rehabilitation

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Jacksonville District announced yesterday the award of $387 million for construction of a Herbert Hoover Dike (HHD) Rehabilitation seepage cutoff wall in Palm Beach, Hendry and Glades counties.

Photo courtesy of the Corps

According to the Corps, the contract that was awarded Jan. 31, 2019 includes construction of 28.6 miles of cutoff wall, from the dike crest through the foundation, on the southwestern side of Lake Okeechobee.

The three selected contractors are Bauer Foundation Corp. of Odessa (Fla), Bencor Global Inc. of Frisco (Texas), and Treviicos South, Inc. of Charlestown (Mass).

The award of this base contract is a significant milestone toward completing the risk reduction measure around the dike. The cutoff wall will address the remaining critical areas and reduce the risk for the communities around Lake Okeechobee,” said Project Manager Timothy Willadsen.

The Corps anticipates awarding the first task order in the spring. A critical design feature in the rehabilitation, the cutoff wall will stop existing piping or internal erosion and prevent future piping as seepage water moves through and under the embankment.

Rehabilitating the Herbert Hoover Dike is Jacksonville District’s number one priority. In 2007, the Corps of Engineers placed HHD on the top of the list of dams in the nation needing repair. The Corps has prioritized and budgeted more funding for the dike than any other dam safety construction project in the nation.

More than $1 billion dollars has been invested in work to reduce risk at the dike structure since 2001. The HHD project received a total of $514.2 million from the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 to fully fund the project to completion.

In addition to the cutoff wall, the Corps continues replacing water control structures, armoring and raising embankments, and other work that will decrease risk.