Swamp Land Act of 1850
A U.S. federal law, the Swamp Land Act of 1850, fully titled "An act to enable the State of Arkansas and other States to reclaim the swamp lands within their limits", essentially provided a mechanism for reverting title of federally-owned swampland to states which would agree to drain the land and turn it to productive, agricultural use. Primarily aimed at the development of Florida's Everglades, and transferring some 20 million acres (31,000 sq mi; 81,000 km2) of land in the Everglades to the State of Florida for this purpose, the law also had application in other states, and spurred drainage and development in many areas of the U.S., including around Indiana's Kankakee River, Michigan's Lake St.