Buescher State Park Dam Collects Yearbook of Engineering Achievement Award

RICHARDSON, Texas — Halff’s Buescher State Park Dam project received a Yearbook of Engineering Achievement Award (YEA) in the water/stormwater category from Civil + Structural Engineer magazine, marking the third-consecutive year the firm has picked up a YEA honor.

The Yearbook of Engineering Achievement Awards recognize projects that embody diversity and innovation within the AEC landscape.

Buescher State Park received a Yearbook of Engineering Achievement (YEA) award for 2023, marking the third-consecutive year Halff has claimed an honor. 

Buescher State Park Dam’s structural integrity was threatened as several feet of material eroded away during remnants of Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) needed to find an immediate solution that would preserve the historic structure and protect a critical economic resource. Halff was contracted to perform emergency repairs that stabilized the dam and prevented a breach.

After the emergency repair and understanding the importance of a more permanent solution, TPWD again contracted Halff to implement detailed construction plans, specifications and cost estimates for rehabilitating the dam to comply with current regulations, which included improvements to the dam’s embankment and principal spillway. The newly designed Buescher State Park Dam retains historical homages to the original structure, such as the native red sandstone, while offering a structure that meets current standards and can preserve the economic importance of the park for years to come.

About the Firm

Halff is an award-winning, employee-owned, diverse and multidiscipline professional engineering firm that improves lives and communities by turning ideas into reality. For more than 70 years, Halff has provided smart solutions for clients throughout the United States. The people-first firm is committed to continuously investing in its employees and fostering a culture of collaboration.

Halff has 32 offices in Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. The firm was recognized as the Texas & Louisiana Design Firm of the Year by the Engineering News-Record. Halff is ranked No. 85 in the latest Top 500 Design Firms rankings by ENR. Halff is the No. 15 Top Workplace nationally in 2023 as ranked by Energage for businesses with 1,000 to 2,499 employees.

For more information about Halff, visit halff.com.