July 5, 2017
Jupiter, FL – Restoration of the historic Masten Dam on the Loxahatchee River in northern Palm Beach County is nearly complete and work will soon begin to restore the Lainhart Dam, another historic dam on the Wild and Scenic River.
The dams, first built in the 1930s by local families, control and regulate upstream flow stages of the Northwest Fork of the river and maintain the hydrology of the riverine floodplain ecosystem. Modeling has shown that without the two dams in place, the upstream water levels would be about 1.5 feet lower, draining the freshwater swamp and encouraging saltwater intrusion.
"One of SFWMD's primary missions is the protection of natural systems and these dam renovations are crucial to ensuring the future of the Loxahatchee River, Florida's first designated wild and scenic river," said Governing Board Vice Chairman Jim Moran, a lifelong Palm Beach County resident. "These dams are not only living parts of Palm Beach County's history, but they also play a crucial role in protecting the cypress swamp floodplain that makes the Loxahatchee so unique."