The Story of Water in the American West…
“In 1878, Mesa was founded by Mormon pioneers. Upon exploration, they discovered the Hohokam's abandoned canals, parts of which they used to develop their own irrigation system. Evidence of the canals can be seen today at the 31-acre ‘Park of the Canals’."
I have no fear that America will grow too big. A hundred years hence these United States will be an empire, and such as the world never before saw...In my opinion the richest portion of it, and a section fully as populous as the East, will be in the region beyond the Mississippi. All through that region, much of which is now arid and not populated, will be a population as dense as the Aztecs ever had in their palmist days in Mexico and Central America. Irrigation is the magic wand which is to bring about these great changes. – John W. Noble, Secretary of the Interior, quoted in The Independent, 1893 (From: Rivers of Empire, D.Worster, 1985)
The story of water in the arid American West is one which includes forces as diverse and broad-ranging as geological epochs, the Neolithic Revolution {agricultural revolution}, and human migration to the New World. The earliest evidence of human habitation in the region appears around 14 – 20k years ago {BP}, when it is thought that migration routes from Asia opened at the region now known as the Bering Straits {a consequence of lowered ocean levels; the result of global cooling and the formation of glacier ice sheets}. It is thought that these early immigrants were drawn to the region because of plentiful hunting, but over time developed intensive agricultural practices; ones which would ultimately impact the human community worldwide. The development of agriculture in Mesoamerica, and its dissemination to the arid American West, required regional adoptions; these adaptations emerged primarily in the form of irrigation projects. The migration of Euro-Americans into the region brought with it major adaptive changes, which in turn resulted in dramatic environmental alterations to the West. However, the central adaptive agricultural force behind settlement in the Arid West continued to be irrigation. In fact, some of the earliest Euro-American irrigation projects were built using prehistoric Indian irrigation canals {Hohokam}. Moreover, many of the bureaucratic structures associated with hydraulic civilization patterns {which had developed in arid regions ranging from Mesopotamia to Mesoamerica}, played out once again in the irrigation culture that emerged following Euro-American migration to the Arid West.
The following is a list of subjects related to water in the Western United States. This is an index that will continue to build over time. It is intended to augment the knowledge base of the user and provide a forum for educators to add materials and curriculum models for the enhancement and understanding of issues related to water in the American West. If you have materials, links, and/or class room instruction videos that you would like to add to this site, please contact us.
Agriculture/Irrigation in the Western United States
California Central Valley Project
Carter Administration - Reclamation Legislation
Defense Industry, Impact on Water Resources
Global Climate Change – Impact on Western United States
Government Agencies - Water-related History
Historic Figures in Western Water Development
Maps (Water Sheds, Snow Pack, etc.)
Mining – Effects on Water Resources
Pre-Historic Water Use in Arid West (U.S.)
Socio-Culture Implications of Irrigation-Based Agriculture
Sub-Surface Water – Western United States
