Taylor Engineering prepared a limited engineering analysis of the existing Herbert Hoover Dike and developed a decision-making framework to evaluate overtopping potential and reduce risk.  Efforts included the identification and evaluation of conceptual plans and the development of a matrix to evaluate the relative effectiveness of alternatives.

The Dike, which is 143 miles long and encompasses Lake Okeechobee, was originally designed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to function as a levee and to safely pass the Standard Project Flood including wind and wave effects. Criteria established by the National Inventory of dams now categorize the dike as a dam. Accordingly, it must safely pass the Maximum Probable Flood.

Taylor Engineering developed 18 conceptual plans to address this need. The plans address current operations of Lake Okeechobee, potential enhancements to the flood control system through integration of ongoing Jacksonville District projects in the area, consideration of additional storage in the Kissimmee River basin, and additional discharge features for the lake.

Application of hydrologic, hydraulic, and wave modeling tools assisted with plan development. For example, Taylor Engineering applied STWAVE to simulate the lake's wave climate during extreme storms and used these results to compute wave runup and overtopping rates across the dike for such storm events.

An assessment framework measured the relative cost of each plan against projected hydrologic effectiveness of each.  This resulted in a series of screenings, which identified the plan that maximized net effectiveness.