“The acequias of southern Colorado and New Mexico are the oldest water-management institutions in the United States of European origin. These irrigated agro-systems date to the time of Spanish settlement in the northern borderlands of Nueva Espana during the late 16th century with the Juan de Onate colony in 1598 and expanded after the De Vargas resettlement of 1692. Due to the arid region, it was essential to settle near water. The irrigation technology employed by the waves of pobladores was gravity flow of surface water from rivers diverted to headgates through a system of earthen canals.”
From “A Brief Acequia History” by Jose© A. Rivera, published in the Green Fire Times, January 2014. Full article available at: http://taosacequias.org/pressroom/2014/GrenFireTimes_140101c.pdf. There are several acequias that served Taos, some of which are in use to this day.
Taos, NM
Photo source: http://taosarchitecture.blogspot.com/2012/02/taos-
