The herald., 1893-10-10
PREHISTORIC IRRIGATION.
The waterw or,es of an Unknown Peopi
in Arizona.

The Waterw orlcs of an Unknown People
in Arizona.
In the July yAnthropologist, Mr.. F. W.
Hodge gives some interesting notes on
this subject, from which we take the
following:
In none of the extensive archeologic
remains OF Southern Arizona are the in
dustry, perseverance, and degree of ad-
vancement of large pueblo population
more faithfully illustrated than in the
many works of irrigation that abound
in the valleys and on the mountain
slopes of this section.
Judging from the remains of extern
sivc ancient works of irrigation, many
OF which may still be seen passing
through tracts cultivated today as we'll
as across densely wooded stretches con-
siderably beyond the present non-irri-
gated area, it is safe to say that the
principal canals constructed and used
by the ancient inhabitants of the Sslado
valley controlled the irrigation of at
least 250, 900 acres. even without con-
sidering the economical methods en-
ployed by primitive people in all its
undertakings.
The mode of canal construction en-
ployed by these pueblo builders was an
other indication of their patience and
industry. Their canals are models for
the modern farmer to initiate; yet they
could have been dug in no conceivable
manne- save by the laborious process of
hand excavation with stone or wooden
implements, the earth being borne away
by means of blankets, baskets or rude
litters. Notwithstanding this, the out
lines of at least $50 miles of ancient main
irrigating bitches may be easily traced,
some of which meander southwark from
the river distance of IA miles.
Unlike ordinary irrigation bitches.
these were constructed in such manner
as to control to some extent the depth of
the current as we'll as to prevent waste
through seepage. The bed of the canal
was about four feet wide, but the sides
broadened in their ascent to within about
four feet of the bank, where o bench"
three feet in width on each side of the
canal had been made. From these
benches the banks continued, broaden
ing until they reached the Drinks, which
were about 80 feet wide. Thus main
ditch consisted. go to speak, OF one
watercourse within another, 80 that if at
any time small current of water only
could be supplied at the head gate, owing
perhaps to drouth, the lower and mar
rover ditch was doubtless always filled
sufficiently to supply the towns beyond,
while during the rainy season the upper
and much broader portion of the great
canal would readily accommodate all
surplus waters.
Several years ago, when the Nor
mons first settled at Mesa City and
began the irrigation and cultivation of
the fertile plain about them, they uti-
lized this ancient canal bed for con-
siderable distance, including that por-
ton encircling the knoll of volcanic
tuff mentioned. The writer has been
informed by one of the founders of
this settlement and builders of the
Mesa canal, which is nine miles in
length, that the saving to them by
using the ancient canal was from
500, 900 to $25, 900.
In tracing the routes once pursued
by many of the canals, great depres-
sions-the sitea OF ancient reservoirs
are observable. The remains of one of
these reservoirs, nearly mile long by
about half a mile wide, occur on the
open plain at the terminus of one oil
the main canals that formed the source
of water supply OF Los Muertos, and
about three miles southwest therefrom.
1t is possible that this great depres-
sion was, in part, at least, natural
sink, deepened by artificial means to
serve more fully the purposes Of
storage basin Of surplus waters from
the Los Muertos irrigating system.
Every cluster OF communal structures
in Los Muertos was supplied with
reservoir on smaller scale than the
one just mentioned, single canal
forming both it's inlet and outlet.
Sometimes lesser communal dwelling
with neighboring structure in the
water supply from single storage
basin. NJ,