man in a hammock

Complacency Can Be Deadly

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The aftermath of a big storm in Florida seems like it should be hard to forget; blue roofs, piles of yard debris waiting to be picked up, lack of light, air conditioning or clean water. But those memories fade as things calm down and we get back to normal. For many Floridians, this calm after the storm can last for several years.

The last major hurricane to hit our area was Wilma in October 2005. Over time, people tend to forget unpleasant experiences. Some residents are new to the area and may never have experienced a severe storm or hurricane before. For these reasons many residents can be lulled into complacency and may procrastinate from their emergency planning.

But you never know when the calm before the storm will end. South Florida is known for not only tropical storms and hurricanes but also torrential downpours from unexpected thunderstorms that can happen any time of the year. For example, in January 2014, over 15 inches of rain fell in a localized area in just a couple of hours causing major flooding, damage to property and tragically the loss of life.

It is vital that residents should make reasonable preparations for self-sufficiency all year long. That includes re-checking and refilling essential supplies, such as an emergency food stockpile, storage containers for water, flashlights and other emergency items. Residents also should have an evacuation plan in place, with contingencies for pets and mobility-challenged family members. And, they should make sure that insurance policies are up to date and that relevant documents are complete and easy to find.

With luck, our area will make it to the end of the 2023 hurricane season unscathed. However, it is only a matter of time when luck will run out and the value of year-round preparation will become staggeringly obvious. A good resource for information about planning for various types of emergencies can be found at www.ready.gov.

HOA discharge control structure

How Drainage Works

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Man-made lakes and ponds are attractive enhancements to many residential communities and businesses within the Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD). More importantly, they serve an important public safety purpose by providing stormwater storage for flood control.

When lake elevations rise due to rainfall, excess stormwater will flow through the community’s discharge control structure and into the LWDD canal. Most of this drainage occurs unnoticed by the average individual. However, during a severe storm, flooding in streets, sidewalks and driveways may occur. This nuisance flooding may cause concern for some residents. However, these low-lying areas are designed as secondary detention areas to protect homes from flooding.

Within LWDD, flood control is a shared responsibility and achieved through an interconnected, three-tiered drainage system. By working together, these three systems provide effective flood control.

This three-tiered system is made up of:

  1. Tertiary, or neighborhood drainage systems operated by property owners or residential associations.
  2. Secondary drainage systems which are operated by LWDD (lwdd.net).
  3. Primary system operated by the South Florida Water Management District (sfwmd.gov).

Water managers in charge of primary and secondary systems are continually monitoring the weather and canal levels to proactively respond to changes in canal elevations. In anticipation of a heavy rainfall event, water managers will make operational adjustments to maintain appropriate water elevations for flood control. Additionally, throughout the year, routine canal maintenance is conducted to provide unobstructed flow in the canal channel and access along the canal rights-of-way.

Property owners and residential associations have a similar role. They must maintain their drainage infrastructure to ensure that inlets, pipes and discharge control structures are free of potential blockages and working as designed, thus maintaining the flow of stormwater away from their property. An annual inspection of drainage infrastructure should be made, and repairs should be completed before the start of storm season on May 1.

The likelihood of flooding depends on several variables such as rainfall volume, duration, ground moisture and local terrain. It is important to note that flood protection does not mean flood proof. No system, no matter how well designed, is 100% flood proof. Even with quality flood control, homes and businesses may experience flooding if rainfall exceeds the drainage design or stormwater flow is blocked by debris. For more information on flood control visit our website at https://www.lwdd.net/property-managers-hoa.

photo of canal dredging from 1919 and 2020

A Pioneer’s Plan

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The Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD) was established on June 15, 1915, with a three-member Board of Supervisors whose mission was to reclaim land within its boundaries. Prior to the creation of LWDD, a considerable amount of drainage work had already been completed by several entities such as the State of Florida, the Palm Beach Farms Land Company, the Model Land Company, and the Boston & Florida Atlantic Coast Land Company. In addition, private landowners and farmers had dredged drainage canals throughout the area. Although small drainage systems had been created, a cohesive long-term drainage plan was needed for the future expansion of what is now known as southeastern Palm Beach County.

In the spring of 1916, Orrin Randolph, Chief Engineer for the newly created LWDD, presented his first report to the Board of Supervisors. This report contained 127 pages detailing a plan of means and methods for draining the lands within the boundaries of LWDD. The report was submitted in compliance with Chapter 6458 of the 1913 Session Laws of the State of Florida. At that time, LWDD consisted of 129,317 acres of land and 3,400 acres of water. The LWDD boundary was rectangular in shape and extended 26 miles in length and 8 miles in width. Population records of 1916 showed there were approximately 6,500 owners of property within LWDD’s boundary making the average ownership equal to 20 acres per capita. Approximately 400 farmers were cultivating an estimated 5,000 acres of land, principally vegetables for distribution to northern markets.

photo of canal dredging from 1919 and 2020In his report, Orrin Randolph identified the areas within LWDD that could not safely be relied upon for agricultural purposes and outlined the design parameters needed for future drainage. Randolph stated, “Provisions for artificial drainage would absolutely be necessary in order to provide a run-off rapid enough to prevent the destruction of crops as a result of accumulated excess water on the land.” Thus, Randolph’s extensive report was adopted by the Board of Supervisors as the Plan of Reclamation. The implementation of this plan would forever change the local landscape.

South Florida’s abundant agricultural resources served as the catalyst upon which prosperous and populous cities were built. This prosperity, then and now, is a result of the water management plan introduced by Orrin Randolph and adopted by LWDD over a century ago as the Plan of Reclamation. This plan created a large network of drainage canals providing flood control and water supply which remarkably still functions today for over 800,000 residents and thousands of acres of farmland. It is because of a pioneer’s plan, Orrin Randolph, that agriculture and settlement harmoniously co-exist making living and working in our area highly desirable.

Your Question Answered

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Why do you remove trees from the right-of-way that have been there for decades without any issue?

The canal rights-of-way are public property and exists solely for canal operation and maintenance. Vegetation located on the District’s canal rights-of-way can create obstructions to water flow during heavy rainfall events and/or hinder the District’s ability to properly maintain the canal, both of which can cause serious flooding issues for surrounding neighborhoods.

Just because the tree has not been a problem in the past does not guarantee that they will not fall into the canal and become a problem in the future. The District requires a clear unencumbered right-of-way for emergency response.

black and white men shaking hands

LWDD Governing Board

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1. Who can run for a position on the Board of Supervisors?
A candidate must be at least 18 years of age, a citizen of the United States of America and a resident of the State of Florida. The candidate must be one of the following: (a) owner of property, (b) be the spouse of a landowner, (c) the authorized representative of a Corporation, Partnership or Limited Liability Company, owning property located within the Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD) boundary at the time of the election. Candidates in election sub-districts 3, 4, & 5 must reside in the sub-district they are a candidate for at the time of the election. Candidates in election sub-districts 1 and 2 do not have residency requirements for the election sub-district they are a candidate for at the time of the election.

2. Who can vote for candidates to the Board of Supervisors?
Any landowner, or the legal representative of a Corporation, Partnership or Limited Liability Company, owning property located within the boundary of LWDD is entitled to vote; except for: (a) exempted lands which LWDD does not levy assessments, (b) lands that are not currently subject to the LWDD levy of assessments and (c) lands for which assessments have not been paid for the previous year.

3. What authority governs the LWDD election process?
LWDD is an independent special district. It is created by legislation that calls for a Board of Supervisors elected by the landowners within its boundary. Board Supervisors are authorized to determine, set, and levy a uniform annual acreage assessment upon each acre or fraction thereof on property within LWDD’s boundary. Assessments are levied to maintain, preserve, repair, and restore existing and future LWDD assets. A complete copy of the most recent LWDD Enabling Act, Chapter 2009-258 Laws of Florida can be found at www.lwdd.net.

4. Why does LWDD use the one-acre one-vote method?
LWDD’s annual assessment is a non-ad valorem fee for each acre or portion thereof of land. Landowners pay a share based on the amount of land receiving drainage services. It is common for single purpose drainage districts to elect their board members by a one-acre one-vote method. This provides landowners equal participation with the assessment they pay. Because LWDD only provides drainage services it is reasonable that the number of votes allotted to a landowner be comparable to the amount of property receiving drainage services.

5. Why are there five election sub-districts?
In 1990 the Board of Supervisors was expanded from three members to five members. At that time the five election sub-districts were identified. Election sub-districts 3, 4, & 5 are generally located east of the Florida Turnpike. Election sub-districts 1 and 2 are generally located west of the Florida Turnpike. The purpose of the change was to ensure a more equitable representation on the board from individuals throughout the 200 square miles that make-up the LWDD boundary. Link: Election Sub District Map.

6. Do you have a process for absentee or mail-in ballots?
No, per the LWDD Enabling Act, Chapter 2009-258 Laws of Florida, casting of votes must take place in person on the day of the Landowners meeting. However, eligible landowners who cannot attend the Landowners meeting may transfer their voting rights to a representative by proxy who will cast their vote for them at the Landowners meeting. The proxy form allows the landowner to assign their voting right to another individual who will vote in their stead at the Landowners meeting. The official proxy form can be found at www.lwdd.net.

7. I own a condominium. Can I vote in the LWDD Board of Supervisors elections?
Yes, owning a condominium within LWDD’s boundary qualifies you as a landowner.

8. I rent an apartment and live fulltime within LWDD’s boundary. Can I vote in the Board of Supervisors elections?
No, although you live within LWDD’s boundary you are not considered a landowner.

9. I am a joint owner of property. Can all joint owners of the same property vote in the election?
No, only one landowner may vote for each eligible parcel of land. Therefore, regardless of the number of joint owners, together they are entitled to only one ballot.

10. I own two parcels within LWDD’s boundary. One parcel equals 1.01 acres, and the second parcel equals .50 acres. How many votes can I cast?
Each acre, or any fraction thereof, of a parcel in LWDD shall represent one share and the landowner shall be entitled to one vote per share. Acre size is quantified to two decimal places. Therefore, your 1.01-acre parcel and .05-acre parcel would grant you 3 votes.

11. Who runs the Landowners meeting?
The landowners when assembled elect a Chairperson to preside at the meeting. The Secretary of the LWDD Board of Supervisors serves as the Secretary for the Landowners meeting.

12. What other items of business take place at the Landowners meeting?
Staff reports and presentations on the operations of LWDD during the past year are given. Also, any topic which the board or landowners wish to discuss.

13. Can I ask questions or give public comment at the Landowners meeting?
Yes, the agenda will call for questions or comments from the landowners.