Controlling Water is Critical
The canals have been maintained by the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District (LGWCD) for over 100 years. The canals, canal banks, and roadways are part of the 60 foot right of way dedicated in the 1925 plat map. The canal serves mainly as storm water management and is a huge asset to our community.
The LGWCD historically maintained the canals, culvert pipes (drain pipes that ran under the road) and bridges, canal banks, and roads. In the original 1925 plat map the properties were 20 acre tracts and these large agricultural tracts were sloped to a drainage swale that ran the length of the property toward the canal. A pipe was placed under the road to provide drainage from the property and the road. In previous years, the LGWCD would assist landowners with the maintenance of these drainage culverts with the landowner purchasing the pipe and the LGWCD providing the labor for the replacement.
The canal system consists of the canal alongside Folsom, east end of G square, bordering North Road, F, E, D, C, B, A Roads and Collecting Canal. The LGWCD maintenance building is located at D Road and Southern Boulevards and is the location of the flood gate and pump that either releases excess water into the C-51 canal or draws water out during the dry season. The releasing or taking of water is overseen by the South Florida Water Management District . During dry season water will be pumped from the C-51 canal alongside Southern Boulevard and drawn into the canal system to assist in maintaining ground water levels throughout town. Previously there was an additional pump at D Road and Okeechobee Boulevard and weirs at the lettered roads on the north side of Okeechobee Boulevard. This additional pump and weirs were removed or have been inoperable since approximately 2005 when the LGWCD chose to abandon or remove them.
As canal maintenance was performed over the years, the canals became wider, as did the roads, and this caused the canal and road orientation to become crooked. The canal banks, canals, and roads now often exceed the original 60 foot right of way. The past maintenance was often performed without surveying and marking of the right of way and this is what has caused deviation and exceeding of the designated 60 feet throughout the boundaries of the town/water control district. This now creates a situation throughout the town where there is confusion and disagreement over the right of the former LGWCD or the town to be utilizing private land without due process or compensate landowners for the taking of their land.
The landowners rely on the proper maintenance of the canal system for protection of wells, ground water, and the roads. Without the ability to keep water levels consistent in the canals the canal banks are in jeopardy and trees that rely on ground water to remain within a predictable range will be lost. It is urgent the town resolve these issues immediately to protect the rural future of our properties.