The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, is about to release a draft copy of a rehabilitation report on Herbert Hoover Dike surrounding Lake Okeechobee for public review and comment.
USACE plans to issue a draft summary of a dam safety modification report and an associated draft environmental impact statement to the public on Thursday, December 24.
The draft reports contain alternative solutions that outline a path forward toward completing ongoing rehabilitation of the dike. The reports represent the culmination of a three-year effort that resulted in the most comprehensive look ever at the risk posed by the dike and solutions to the issues that have caused concern for several years.
“ Our announcement today is to let everyone know that we will be seeking input on this document when it is posted later this week, ” said Tim Willadsen, project manager for Herbert Hoover Dike rehabilitation . “ Our goal was to get this report out before the end of the year; it represents a significant accomplishment to be able to provide this to the people living and working around the dike.”
The comment period will be open for 60 days, until February 23.
The Corps has made rehabilitation of the dike a high priority by investing over $500 million since 2007 in construction of the 22-mile cutoff wall and replacement of water control structures. The intent of the rehabilitation project is to reduce the likelihood of dike failure for people living or working near Lake Okeechobee.