Acequia

Acequia

An acequia is a community operated waterway used in Spain and former Spanish colonies in the Americas for irrigation. Particularly in the Andes, northern Mexico, and the modern-day American Southwest, acequias are usually historically engineered canals that carry snow runoff or river water to distant fields.

The Spanish word "acequia" comes from the Arabic "al saqiya" and means water conduit. The Arabs brought the technology to Spain during their occupation of the Iberian peninsula. The technology was adopted by the Spanish and utilized throughout their conquered lands.

Most acequias were established more than 200 years ago; many continue to provide a primary source of water for farming and ranching ventures in areas of the United States once occupied by Spain or Mexico.

Acequias are gravity chutes, similar in concept to flumes. Some acequias are conveyed through pipes or aqueducts, of modern fabrication or decades or centuries old (see transvasement). The majority, however, are simple open ditches with dirt banks. In many communities, the ditchbanks are important routes for non-motorized travel.

Known among water users simply as the "Acequia", various legal entities embody the community associations, or acequia associations, that govern members' water usage, depending on local precedents and traditions. An acequia organization often includes ditch riders and a majordomo who administers usage of water from a ditch, regulating which water-rights holders can release water to their fields on what days.

External links

* [http://www.lasacequias.org The New Mexico Acequia Association]
* [http://www.acequiainstitute.org The Acequia Institute]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Acequia — ist der Name mehrerer Orte in den Vereinigten Staaten: Acequia (Colorado) Acequia (Idaho) des Weiteren steht Acequia für Acequia (Bewässerungskanal), einen Bewässerungskanal Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Un …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Acequia — Acequia, ID U.S. city in Idaho Population (2000): 144 Housing Units (2000): 51 Land area (2000): 0.308283 sq. miles (0.798448 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.308283 sq. miles (0.798448 sq. km)… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Acequia, ID — U.S. city in Idaho Population (2000): 144 Housing Units (2000): 51 Land area (2000): 0.308283 sq. miles (0.798448 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.308283 sq. miles (0.798448 sq. km) FIPS code:… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • acequia — sustantivo femenino 1. Zanja o canal pequeño por donde va el agua, generalmente para el riego: Utilizan el agua de la acequia para regar. No pases cerca de la acequia que está llena de mosquitos …   Diccionario Salamanca de la Lengua Española

  • Acequia — A*ce qui*a ([aum]*s[=a] k[ e]*[.a]; Sp. [aum]*th[=a] k[ e]*[aum]), n. [Sp.] A canal or trench for irrigating land. [Sp. Amer.] [Webster 1913 Suppl.] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • acéquia — s. f. 1. Canal estreito artificial para as águas correntes. 2. Regueira, açude, azenha …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • acequia — (Del ár. hisp. assáqya, y este del ár. clás. sāqiyah, irrigadora). f. Zanja o canal por donde se conducen las aguas para regar y para otros fines …   Diccionario de la lengua española

  • acequia — ☆ acequia [ə sā′kē ə ] n. [Sp < Ar as sāqiya < al sāqiya, fem. prp. of saqā, to give to drink, irrigate] in the Southwest, an irrigation canal …   English World dictionary

  • Acequia — Para otros usos de este término, véase canal de riego. Acequia Una acequia (del ár. hisp. assáqya, y este del ár. clás. sāqiyah, irrigadora) es un canal por donde se conducen las aguas para regar. De origen árabe, estas construcciones, a pesar de …   Wikipedia Español

  • Acequia — (Del ár. as saqiya < saqa, regar.) ► sustantivo femenino CONSTRUCCIÓN Canal o presa por el que se conduce el agua para regar o para otros fines: ■ el agua del aljibe corría por las acequias de manera controlada. TAMBIÉN cequia SINÓNIMO cacera… …   Enciclopedia Universal

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”