Abstract

We explore the path from ad hoc federal flood control policy in the mid-1850s to flood control becoming a clear federal responsibility in 1936. Federal flood control was done in a piecemeal way through the early-twentieth century before three "landmark laws" over a two-decade period created a clear federal flood control policy. The Flood Control Act of 1917 was the beginning of modern flood control policy, as Congress approved federal aid for levee construction across the lower Mississippi River and parts of California in response to massive flooding. The Flood Control Act of 1928 represented the evolution of federal flood control policy, as a levees-only policy was abandoned and a comprehensive flood control program — where spillways, floodways, storage basins, and reservoirs were components along with levees — was adopted following the Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927. Finally, the Flood Control Act of 1936 made clear, during a period of extensive growth in the size and perceived responsibilities of the federal government, that flood control was a proper federal responsibility in keeping with promoting the general welfare of the country as a whole — and thus established a national policy on flood control. In accompanying multivariate analyses, we find that more liberal members of Congress were increasingly inclined to support flood control legislation — irrespective of party. We also find that members representing states/districts along the Mississippi River were also more inclined (controlling for all other factors) to support early legislation, but this regional effect disappeared as flood control appropriations covered a wider geographic area.