Irrigation module 02-Salvatierra, state of Guanajuato: origin and continuity

Abstract

Irrigation systems in the world are made up of two basic
components: on the one hand, the technical part that includes
infrastructure and, on the other, the social component that refers
to the organization for managing and building infrastructure. In
the case of Module 02-Salvatierra, the origin of infrastructure
dates back to Pre-Hispanic times. That infrastructure was
abandoned when the necessary social organization was not
developed, in order to fend off attacks from other ethnic groups,
thus losing the knowledge associated to irrigation. Then, in
the second half of the 16th Century, construction of irrigation
channels from Lerma River began; this practice continued
during the 17th Century until water supply became a source
of conflict among haciendas. These conflicts lasted until the
beginning of the 20th Century. It seems that it was the creation
of Irrigation District 011 Alto Río Lerma that fostered the social
reconfiguration linked to irrigation water that was maintained
until 1992, when infrastructure was transferred to the Users’
Association, which holds its administration, maintenance and
general operation until today.