A U.S.federal law, the Swamp Land Act of 1850,[1] fully titled "An act to enable the State of Arkansas and other States to reclaim the swamp lands within their limits", essentially provided a mechanism for reverting title of federally-owned swampland to states which would agree to drain the land and turn it to productive, agricultural use.[2] Primarily aimed at the development of Florida's Everglades, and transferring some 20 million acres (31,000 sq mi; 81,000 km2) of land in the Everglades to the State of Florida[3] for this purpose, the law also had application outside Florida, and spurred drainage and development in many areas of the United States, including areas around Indiana's Kankakee River,[4]Michigan's Lake St. Clair's shores, and elsewhere, and encouraged settlement by immigrants arriving in the United States after that time. Later considered to have been ecologically problematic, many of its provisions were in time reversed by the Clean Water Act of 1972[5] and later legislation, but its historical effects on U.S. development and settlement patterns remained.
In Louisiana, this law gave the state eight and a half million acres of river swamps and marshes to sell to pay for flood control measures.[6] Under this plan, thousands of acres of virgin cypress in the Atchafalaya Basin were sold to large corporations, often for seventy-five cents per acre or less. In return, the state began the construction of a few low levees and performed periodic dredging. But an increase in flooding in the Basin, due to the Great Raft removal on the upper Atchafalaya River, gave Timber companies more water to float their products to market, allowing the complete destruction of the old growth cypress forests to ensue with little pushback.
^Guirard, Greg and C. Ray Brassieur. Inherit The Atchafalaya. Lafayette, LA: Center for Louisiana Studies University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press, 2007.
This United States federal legislation article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
swamp, land, 1850, federal, fully, titled, enable, state, arkansas, other, states, reclaim, swamp, lands, within, their, limits, essentially, provided, mechanism, reverting, title, federally, owned, swampland, states, which, would, agree, drain, land, turn, pr. A U S federal law the Swamp Land Act of 1850 1 fully titled An act to enable the State of Arkansas and other States to reclaim the swamp lands within their limits essentially provided a mechanism for reverting title of federally owned swampland to states which would agree to drain the land and turn it to productive agricultural use 2 Primarily aimed at the development of Florida s Everglades and transferring some 20 million acres 31 000 sq mi 81 000 km2 of land in the Everglades to the State of Florida 3 for this purpose the law also had application outside Florida and spurred drainage and development in many areas of the United States including areas around Indiana s Kankakee River 4 Michigan s Lake St Clair s shores and elsewhere and encouraged settlement by immigrants arriving in the United States after that time Later considered to have been ecologically problematic many of its provisions were in time reversed by the Clean Water Act of 1972 5 and later legislation but its historical effects on U S development and settlement patterns remained In Louisiana this law gave the state eight and a half million acres of river swamps and marshes to sell to pay for flood control measures 6 Under this plan thousands of acres of virgin cypress in the Atchafalaya Basin were sold to large corporations often for seventy five cents per acre or less In return the state began the construction of a few low levees and performed periodic dredging But an increase in flooding in the Basin due to the Great Raft removal on the upper Atchafalaya River gave Timber companies more water to float their products to market allowing the complete destruction of the old growth cypress forests to ensue with little pushback External links editAct full textReferences edit SWAMP LAND ACTS OF 1849 1850 AND 1860 Anchor Bay Watershed Management Plan Global Climate Change Affecting the Florida Everglades Anthropogenic Causes for Dis Roselawn Indiana Back in Time A Glance at History PlanetPapers Wetland Research Paper Guirard Greg and C Ray Brassieur Inherit The Atchafalaya Lafayette LA Center for Louisiana Studies University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press 2007 nbsp This United States federal legislation article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Swamp Land Act of 1850 amp oldid 1191170465, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
