Terra Latinoamericana E-ISSN: 2395-8030 [email protected] Sociedad Mexicana de la Ciencia del Suelo, A.C. México Inzunza-Ibarra, Marco A.; Curtis Monger, H. Historical analysis of the irrigation evolution of the laguna region of Mexico Terra Latinoamericana, vol. 23, núm. 3, julio-septiembre, 2005, pp. 363-370 Sociedad Mexicana de la Ciencia del Suelo, A.C. Chapingo, México Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=57311101008 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF THE IRRIGATION EVOLUTION OF THE LAGUNA REGION OF MEXICO Análisis Histórico de la Evolución de la Irrigación de La Comarca Lagunera de México Marco A. Inzunza-Ibarra1‡ and H. Curtis Monger2 SUMMARY RESUMEN The people of La Laguna Region of Mexico are Los habitantes de la Región Lagunera son highly dependent on the irrigated agriculture of the altamente dependientes de la agricultura de riego de region. The magnitude of irrigation has increased in esta región. La magnitud de dicha práctica de riego se recent times to the point that water tables are lowering ha incrementado en los últimos años de tal forma que and that soil properties are actually being affected. la profundidad del acuífero ha disminuido y las The main objective of this paper was to analyze the propiedades del suelo han cambiado. El objetivo evolution of irrigation in La Laguna Region and locate principal de este trabajo fue analizar la evolución de la the irrigation areas throughout time in order to be a irrigación en la Región Lagunera y localizar las áreas reference for future research about soil property de riego a través del tiempo con el fin que sea una changes with the irrigation practice in the region. Old referencia para futuras investigaciones acerca del books, maps, articles, personal interviews, historic cambio de las propiedades del suelo debido al uso de museums and libraries of La Laguna Region, and la irrigación en la región. Para esto, se realizó una records of Mexican government institutions were investigación en libros antiguos, mapas, artículos, investigated. Also, a geographic information system entrevistas personales, museos históricos y librerías de was used to locate the irrigation areas throughout time la Región Lagunera, así como en registros from old maps. The history analysis of the region gubernamentales. Además, se utilizó un sistema de reveals that there were four periods important to the información geográfica con el objetivo de integrar la evolution of irrigated agriculture: The big Latifundios información y localizar las áreas de riego a través del Period (1700 to 1825) when the entire Laguna Region tiempo. El análisis histórico de la región revela que was used for grazing and livestock activities; the hubo cuatro periodos importantes en la evolución de Hacienda Period (1840 to 1910) when irrigation la agricultura de riego: el periodo de los grandes began, grew and boomed together with cotton; the latifundios (1700 a 1825) cuando toda la Laguna fue Period after the Agrarian act (1936 to 1946) when the usada para actividades de pastoreo; el período de Las farmers used the old and deficient irrigation Haciendas (1840 a 1910) con el inicio de la irrigación infrastructure; and finally the Modernization Period y el esplendor algodonero; el período después del (1950 to 1975) when important hydraulic structures Reparto Agrario (1936 a 1946) cuando los were made for improving the irrigation system of agricultores todavía usaban la antigua infraestructura today. hidráulica; y, finalmente, el periodo de Modernización (1950 a 1975) cuando se construyeron importantes Index words: geographic information system, estructuras hidráulicas para mejorar el sistema de prehistoric period, latifundio period, livestock period, irrigación. hacienda period, modernization period. Palabras clave: sistema de información geográfica, 1 Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y periodo prehistórico, periodo del latifundio, periodo Pecuarias-CENID-RASPA. km 6.5 Margen Derecha Canal Sacramento, Gómez Palacio, Durango, México. ‡ Autor de agostadero, periodo de la hacienda y periodo de la responsable ([email protected]) modernización. 2 New Mexico State University, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture. Box 3Q, Las Cruces, NM, USA. INTRODUCTION ([email protected]) Recibido: Julio de 2003. Aceptado: Diciembre de 2004. One of the most important soil uses by man has Publicado como ensayo en Terra Latinoamericana 23: 363-370. been agriculture. Since ancient times, nomadic people 363 TERRA Latinoamericana VOLUMEN 23 NÚMERO 3, 2005 have tried to find places near rivers with good land to Research Methodology produce food where they could settle. It is believed that the first farm began nine to ten thousand years The research strategy was to investigate in old ago (Vargas, 1997). books, maps, and articles, libraries and the historic With increased population better techniques to museum of La Laguna Region. Also, personal improve crop yield have been necessary. With this interviews and records of Mexican government goal, irrigation was probably introduced by ancient institutions were investigated. A geographic civilizations. It is thought that irrigation and information systems (ARC VIEW) was used to agriculture began at approximately the same time to integrate the information and geographically locate increase food production. The use of irrigation was the irrigated areas through time using digitized old first reported on the flood plains of the Nile, maps with the superposition technique. Euphrates, and Tigris river valleys. Other independent agricultural places appeared later in Middle America, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION in West Africa, and in Southeast Asia between Malaysia and the east coast of India (Dunigan, 1969). In order to answer how the irrigated areas were In Mexico, La Laguna Region has been an important originated and to locate the irrigation areas throughout irrigation center in the north from the middle time, the discussion was divided in three periods: the nineteenth century until today. The main objective of Pre Hispanic Era, the Latifundio Epoch, and the this work was to analyze the irrigation evolution in La Hacienda Period. Laguna Region to understand the contemporaneous irrigation management and to make better decisions in Lagunero Indians and Pre Hispanic Land Use order to improve the current irrigations system. Also, irrigation areas were located throughout time for The most important and ancient information future studies about how soil properties have been source about the pre Hispanic natives of La Laguna affected by irrigation practices in the region. Then, Region is the Litterate Annuaes or Annuas written by this paper describes the history of irrigation in La the Jesuit missionaries (Decorme, 1941). The Annuas Laguna Region. It begins with prehistoric inhabitants, were the reports of the Jesuit missionaries who then discusses the first and large estates, the annually wrote in their assigned missions. Thus, Latifundio. It then describes the irrigation areas of the historians took the Annuas as their basis to research Haciendas Period and the Land Distribution Act the pre Hispanic history for La Laguna Region. In this (Reparto Agrario). Next, it is followed by a discussion way, Robles (1938) cited the Annuas of 1595 and of the Rehabilitation when irrigation practices 1596 to deduce that the first contact of the inhabitants improved and agricultural areas increased. of La Laguna Region could have occurred during these years. The author explained that it was not MATERIALS AND METHODS possible to establish foundations in this area due to the extreme barbarian behavior of the natives. The Study Area, La Laguna Region Annuas indicated that the Lagunero indians did not built huts, they were not polite persons, they did not La Laguna Region is situated in the southeastern use clothes, did not cultivate domestic plants and they part of Coahuila and in the northwestern part of got food from fishing, hunting and root collecting. Durango states in Mexico. The geographical position Martínez (1995) cited that the 1595 and 1596 lies between 102o 22' and 104o 47' W and 24o 22' and Annuas reported that the Lagunero natives did not 26o 23' N. The mean altitude of La Laguna Region is cultivate. In a similar way, the Annua of 1598 1139 meters. The topography of the region is reported that the natives did not practice agriculture generally flat with slight slopes that range from 0.20 since they obtained enough food from hunting and to 1.0 m km-1 mostly located in the north and fishing. The Missionaries found they preferred to live northeastern directions. La Laguna Region has a total in mountain caves, live off the land, and enjoy an area of 4 788 750 ha, of which approximately existence of food without work. Thus, the author 206 243 ha could be used for agricultural activities concluded that the pre Hispanic era did not show (SAGARPA, 2002). Irrigation waters are supplied by evidence that Lagunero natives practiced a formal regional dams and groundwater wells. agriculture. 364 INZUNZA AND MONGER. HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF THE IRRIGATION EVOLUTION OF LA LAGUNA REGION Land Use Development during Latifundio Epoch the region (Meyers, 1994). The Marques de Aguayo believed that La Laguna lands and the