To maximize potential of water to exit river into canals, the Hohokam developed several techniques. If they allowed the water to stagnate, those three elements occur. This increase in velocity, decreased sediment buildup, discharge into fields and evaporation. In areas of inadequate water(ebb) the channel would be narrowed, increasing velocity of water. In areas of excessive water(flow), the Hohokam would widen the channel. Creating a stabilized canal system they transported water through minimal changes in elevation and overcame natural ebbs and flows that rivers create. Their ability to push water effectively for several 100 miles over a flat desert landscape, while evading hills and valleys complimented their legacy. Using digging sticks, the Native Americans excavated 12-feet deep canals, fanning into a larger network of smaller canals.īecause of their extensive excavation abilities, the Hohokam were considered to be engineering geniuses. As the population grew further from the river, the Hohokam began to construct canals for irrigation. Around 600 CE, the Hohokam population grew too large for sustainable living. Hohokam, (a Pima Indian word meaning ‘‘those who have disappeared’’), first appeared around 1 CE initially growing beans, squash, corn and cotton serving a very small population of less than one thousand. The Hohokam people lived in the Mesa area for nearly 1,500 years. With a population estimated to be as many as 80,000 individuals at its height, the culture flourished for more than 1000 years in the unforgiving Sonoran desert before disappearing in about 1450 CE. The Hohokan people dug a sophisticated network of canals in the Salt River Valley as a foundation for a flourishing civilization.
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