The Peace Creek Canal is a privately-owned canal system that was constructed in the early 1900s to drain 48,000 acres of floodplain for agricultural purposes. As intended, the canal kept the land dry long enough for farming. The canal still provides drainage benefits to the region. Due to Hurricane Irma, which was declared a major disaster by the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Sept. 10, 2017, storm debris consisting mostly of downed trees and other vegetative debris was deposited in the canal. The Southwest Florida Water Management District plans to remove the debris with funding assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service.