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<br />OD1171 <br /> <br />i <br /> <br />AfHD CANAL C-III <br />~ I SOUTH FlORIDA <br />J .~ WATER <br />.... MANAGEMENT <br />DISTRICT . <br /> <br /> <br />~-.,,~-- <br /> <br />,.-...__._ 1.- <br /> <br />. ~ o:;r o....~: ~~ <br />.... - ~ _. <br /> <br />~- <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Figure 11. Regional Special Districts Such as This One Play ImPOrtant Roles in Rood Control and Water <br />AJlocatioo_ (Photo: A. P1a"l <br /> <br />tion and some with no regulations at all. <br />A higher degree of consistency among <br />communities sharing a common water. <br />shed or floodplain should continue to be <br />pursued as a matter of public policy. <br /> <br />3. Sp('Cial Districts <br /> <br />The management of floodplains is <br />only one of many public concerns that <br />transcend local, county. and state <br />boundaries. Among other concerns are <br />education, public safety, pollution abate. <br />ment, solid waste management, parks <br />and recreation, transportation, health, <br />and housing. Others that directly relate <br />to water include navigation, water sup. <br />ply, sewage treatment, drainage. irriga- <br />tion, and fire fighting. In each case the <br />political and geographic fragmentation <br />of general purpose governments poses a <br />substantial barrier to fulfilling public <br />policies and programs. A widespread re- <br />sponse to this dilemma has bE'E'n the for- <br />mation of special districts .....hose po.....ers <br />and territories are tailored to a particular <br />public mission. The basic criterion of a <br />special district is that it be a "municipal <br />corporation "---that is, an autonomous <br />legal entity creatM in accordance .....ith <br />state la..... and having specified legal <br /> <br />powers to be exercised .....ithin a definite <br />geographical territory. As .....ith munici- <br />palities, spt'cial districts are legal persons: <br />they can sue and be sued, they may en. <br />ter into contracts, and they may exercise <br />other powers necessary to carry out their <br />duties. Unlike municipalities, they are <br />limited to one or more specified pur. <br />poses and may overlap the territory of <br />general purpose governments and other <br />types of special districts (Fig. 11). <br />Special districts may be either a cause <br />of or a remedy for fragmentation of <br />floodplain authority. Thousands of spe- <br />cial districts have been formed to pro. <br />mote urban redevelopment, navigation, <br />flood control-all of .....hich may directly <br />or indirectly contribute to development <br />in floodplains. By their very nature, spe. <br />cial districts do not usually engage in <br />comprehensive planning, nor do they <br />participate widely in regional or basin. <br />wide planning programs. Furthermore, <br />many special districts operate in relative <br />obscurity, with little scrutiny by the <br />public or the press. <br />On the other hand, special districts <br />may be used creath'ely to overcome frag- <br />mentation at other levels of government. <br />They can be drawn specifically to f:'rn- <br />brace a territory relf:"..ant to the purpose <br /> <br />17 <br />