Medard Reservoir Dam Breach and Flood Routing Analysis
Project Highlights
Preparation of inundation maps for four fail scenarios
Computer modeling of dam breach
Investigation of major bridge crossings and residential development down stream
Identification of potential dam failure mechanisms
Client:
Southwest Florida Water Management District
Project Brief
The Medard Reservoir Dam is a 7,000 foot long, 35 foot high, earth-filled embankment located in eastern Hillsborough County, Florida with a surface area of approximately 740 acres and a storage capacity of over 13,000 acre-feet. Due to downstream development, the dam is classified as "high hazard."
In preparation for the development of a comprehensive Emergency Action Plan, Kisinger Campo & Associates Corp. completed a dam breach and flood routing analysis for the Medard Reservoir Dam. The first phase was a "sunny day" breach analysis that considered two failure scenarios, a piping failure at the primary spillway and an overtopping failure of the secondary spillway. SWFWMD also requested a second phase to include "wet weather" conditions for both scenarios.
The study resulted in a report documenting the analysis. Of particular importance to SWFWMD were the inundation maps that provide the basis for the Emergency Action Plan.
