HOme with flooding in street and front yard

How Flood Control 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
  3. the primary system operated by the South Florida Water Management District

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 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 June 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 www.lwdd.net/property-managers-hoa.

Photo of Stephen Bedner

Stephen Bedner Appointed Board President

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Stephen Bedner was appointed the president of the Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD) Board of Supervisors for 2019 by a unanimous vote of his fellow board members during the January 9, 2019 meeting.

President Bedner joined the board in October 2015. He represents Election Sub-district 2 which is generally located in the southwest portion of LWDD’s boundary. However, the constituents he represents include all landowners within the LWDD boundary.

“I am very pleased that Steve has accepted the position of president for the coming year. He is an experienced and highly knowledgeable farmer and businessman,” stated Board Supervisor John I. Whitworth, III.

Mr. Bedner is a South Florida native and 4th generation farmer. His family farm consists of growing bell peppers and cucumbers which are primarily distributed along the east coast. In 2010, the business diversified and opened the first farmer-owned and operated greenmarket in Palm Beach County. Given his agricultural history and business experience, Mr. Bedner is focused on finding innovative technology to enhance management operations in order to help protect water resources for future generations.

He is an active member of the Florida Farm Bureau, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, Farm Credit, Bethesda Health and was appointed by former Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam to serve on the Fresh from Florida committee. His term as a member of the LWDD Board of Supervisors will expire in January 2020.

LWDD Logo

LWDD’s Management Team

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Photo of Tommy Strowd, PE

Tommy B. Strowd, P.E Appointed New Executive Director

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Photo of Tommy Strowd, PEThe Lake Worth Drainage District (District) Board of Supervisors announced the appointment of Tommy B. Strowd, P.E. as the agency’s new Executive Director, effective March 29, 2019. Strowd succeeds Robert M. Brown who retired after 35 years of public service.

Strowd joined the Lake Worth Drainage District in April 2014 as the Director of Operations & Maintenance. He has more than 35 years of experience in civil, environmental and water resource engineering in the public and private sectors. Prior to joining the District, Strowd served as the Assistant Executive Director of Operations, Maintenance & Construction for the South Florida Water Management District. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Oceanographic Technology from Florida Institute of Technology and is a professional engineer registered in the State of Florida since 1983.

Strowd stated, “I am honored to be appointed as Executive Director of the Lake Worth Drainage District. I consider it the highpoint of my career and look forward to continuing to serve our residents and property owners to ensure effective flood control and water supply for Palm Beach County.”

Founded in 1915, the Lake Worth Drainage District is an independent special district that manages water resources and provides flood control for approximately 800,000 residents and more than 10,000 acres of agricultural land in southeastern Palm Beach County.

Photo of Drone

Maintenance Enhanced With Drones

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Approximately three years ago, the Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD) began implementing the flying of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) commonly known as drones to monitor the canals, rights-of-way and flood control structures within its 200 square miles of service area.

The drones are used as a professional tool to gather data, take images and video. The ‘bird’s eye-view’ provides a unique perspective that can quickly identify issues so that corrective actions can be taken before they develop into costly repairs. Due to their small size, the drones can reach areas difficult to inspect from the ground. They perform quickly and in a repetitive manner providing accurate and consistent data. Drone flights can cover large geographical areas using a two-man crew in a stationary location. This helps minimize inspection costs and avoids exposure of personnel to possible environmental risks and injuries.

LWDD deployed its drones after Hurricanes Irma & Michael. The results were very beneficial in post-storm assessments by aiding recovery teams to efficiently identify damage sites and prioritize response efforts. The data captured by the drone flights can be mapped and used for future emergency response planning by water managers.
LWDD’s operators strictly adhere to the Federal Aviation Association’s (FAA) regulations and are cognizant of surrounding homes during flights. The District’s drone operators hold a certification from the FAA, and follow strict safety practices. The use of UAS systems is one of the more recent additions to LWDD’s flood control toolbox.

The Lake Worth Drainage District is committed to implementing new technologies that will enhance flood control operations for the estimated 750,000 residents within its boundaries. For more information on the various methods used for flood control, visit https://lwddnet.wpengine.com/managing-water/overview.