King Amenemhet III stands here as an example for the achievements of the Egyptian civilization in land reclamation and flood control. His reign was one of the longest and most beneficial of the 12th dynasty; it was peaceful and brought Egypt to a new peak of prosperity.
Amenemhet's greatest achievement was the completion of the water system, started by Sesostris II (reigned 1844 - 1837 BC), that regulated the inflow from the Nile into Lake Qarun in the Fayyum depression. The drainage of the marshes resulted in the reclamation of 62,000 hectares of arable land.