Water Conservation Area 2B

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After World War II, a series of levees, canals, and control gates were created by the Army Corps of Engineers. They control water flow from the Everglades from flooding populated areas near the coasts. This also acted as a buffer by protecting sensitive regions of the Everglades and surrounding wetlands from future development, as set forth by state law. Due to changes in weather, wildlife, hunting seasons, and human environmental impact, the control of water has to be maintained frequently. This responsibility belongs to the state agency called the South Florida Water Management District.
In 1961 WCA 2 was divided into two units, 2A (173 sq.mi.) and 2B (37 sq. mi.) by installing the L-35 partitioning levee. The North New River Canal and the L-35A levee became the southern boundary of the entire WCA 2. This was done to prevent excess water seepage losses to the south and to improve the water storage capacity. Structures S-144, 145, and 146 were constructed to allow discharge from WCA 2A into WCA 2B.

A regional flood-control district, the predecessor of today's South Florida Water Management District, was created by the State of Florida in 1949 to manage a coordinated water system. The urbanizing areas that extended west of the natural bedrock ridge were protected from flooding by a high levee known as the "eastern perimeter levee." Although it was originally built to protect and promote development of urbanizing areas along the southeastern coast, this levee has, ironically, become the only effective barrier to more extensive urban development of the Everglades.