Palm Beach County’s 19 drainage districts represent the secondary tier in a complex system of drainage under the supervision of Florida’s South Florida Water Management District to mitigate flooding in the wet seasons and conserve water in the dry seasons so that the County has sufficient water to meet consumer, industrial, and agricultural needs all-year-round.

Congress began investigating the swampy marsh conditions of the federal lands in Illinois and Missouri in 1826. Members made several attempts at draining the lands. But it was not until 1849 when Congress passed the first Swamp and Overflowed Lands Act granting the State of Louisiana all federal lands in the state for its successful reclamation of the lands.

The 19 special drainage districts of Palm Beach Couss passed the first Swamp and Overflowed Lands Act to grant all the federal lands in the State of Louisiana for its success in reclaiming its swampy lands…