Los caminos del agua y la construcción de terrazas agrícolas en el país de la lluvia

Abstract

In the territories of the high valleys of Galicia, the hamlets respond to the centuries-old knowledge and management of water runoff. They are located mid-hill, between the mountain –where the “brañas”, “chaos” and “chairas” function as rainwater collectors- and the cultivation areas, where the rough waters- that descend dragging silt, clays and organic matter- are appeased and domesticated to be directed wisely to fertilize these lower lands.

On its territory, the community of each village was building arable terraces and an intricate and multifunctional irrigation, drainage and runoff network, by progressively adjusting complex community management to ensure its proportional and equitable distribution, without hardly disturbing the natural water cycle.

It can be observed how the construction of these terraced territories responds to a deep knowledge of water management in local conditions, both to runoff control and irrigation.