▁Gl enn ▁Wald man . ▁ ▁History ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁after ▁years ▁of ▁dr ought , ▁the ▁state ▁was ▁del ug ed ▁by ▁ra inf all ▁aver aging ▁ 1 0 0 ▁inches ▁along ▁the ▁lower ▁east ▁coast , ▁almost ▁twice ▁the ▁norm . ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁ground ▁was ▁s atur ated ▁when ▁two ▁h urr ican es ▁hit ▁the ▁state ▁late ▁in ▁the ▁year , ▁and ▁flo oding ▁throughout ▁the ▁region ▁was ▁dev ast ating . ▁Florida ▁asked ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁for ▁a ▁master ▁plan ▁to ▁t ame ▁nature ' s ▁excess es . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Congress ▁adopted ▁legisl ation ▁creating ▁the ▁Central ▁and ▁Southern ▁Florida ▁( C & SF ) ▁Project , ▁the ▁largest ▁civil ▁works ▁project ▁in ▁the ▁country . ▁Const ruction ▁began ▁the ▁next ▁year ▁and ▁continued ▁over ▁ 2 0 ▁years ▁as ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁Corps ▁of ▁Engine ers ▁built ▁the ▁massive ▁flo od ▁control ▁pl umb ing ▁system ▁stretch ing ▁from ▁just ▁south ▁of ▁Or lando ▁to ▁Florida ▁Bay . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁the ▁Florida ▁Legisl ature ▁created ▁the ▁Central ▁and ▁Southern ▁Florida ▁Flo od ▁Control ▁District , ▁the ▁prede cess or ▁to ▁the ▁South ▁Florida ▁Water ▁Management ▁District , ▁to ▁manage ▁the ▁C & SF ▁Project . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁with ▁the ▁Florida ▁Water ▁Resources ▁Act ▁( Ch apter ▁ 3 7 3 ), ▁the ▁state ▁created ▁five ▁water ▁management