Water Control Progress in the Everglades

Abstract

The Central and Southern Florida Flood Control Project is designed to prevent floods and to provide water on demand. It is neither a drainage nor an irrigation project, but a plan for water control throughout an area of approximately 15,000 sq mi. The project will cost about $300,000,000. Approximately $61,000,000 has been invested to date, as a joint effort of the federal government and the state of Florida. The Corps of Engineers designs, plans, and constructs the project works. The Central and Southern Florida Flood Control District, an agency of the state, represents local interests at all stages of planning and construction, provides lands, operates and maintains com‐ pleted works, and contributes, in cash 15‐20 per cent of the cost of construction. In aggregate, the economic worth of the state's contribution approaches that of the federal government's. The return in annual benefits over the 50‐year economic life of the project will be $4 for every $1 invested. In addition to the state's contribution, the individual landowners must make considerable investments to obtain full project benefits. The project provides only the basic works for water control. The individual has to provide connecting canals to the main canals in order to receive or get rid of water on his land. He must also provide his own surrounding dikes, individual pumping stations, farm ditches, and other works so that he can adjust his water levels to his needs. The project, in effect, assures the landowner that he will have water when he needs it and a place to deposit excess water. The pumping station on the West Palm Beach Canal is particularly interesting. It is one of the largest low‐lift stations in the world, having six pumps, each nearly 10 ft in diameter. The station is capable of pumping more than 2,000,000 gpm of water during periods of flood.