2012 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

History of Public Participation in river basin managements for the human adjustments to the nature

Research Project

Project/Area Number	23830109
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Economic history
Research Institution	Hannan University
Principal Investigator	IZAWA Masaoki 阪南大学, 経済学部, 准教授 (40611942)
Project Period (FY)	2011 – 2012
Keywords	河川政策 / 連邦洪水防御法 / 水土保全区 / 水利権
Research Abstract	The Federal Flood Control Act marked a major shift in relation between river and society. However, this study is neither a history of legislative power politics nor ahistory of the federal river policy. Focusing on the local authorities improvingecological protection against great flood along the lower Illinois River, this study showshow the nature-centered river system initially developed as a response of the localdrainage and levee districts. I made use of the archival materials on the local landdistricts, which reveals that because of the general flood and operating costs for landdrainage at high level, landowners were delinquent in paying off the principal andinterest due on drainage bonds. As a consequence, the reversion of reclaimed land toits natural functions proceeded rapidly through the Soil and Water ConservationDistricts.

(2 results)